Changes
by WishFlower
Summary: Everything changes when Justin finds out he's adopted. Alex joins him on an across country mission to find his real mother. JALEX
1. Chapter 1

**Real Jalex: **

**Chapter One: **

"Alex, can you do me a favor and get the mail?" Theresa asked as she rushed into the kitchen and back out carrying a customer's lunch.

"Sure mom." Alex was leaning on the checkout counter and blowing her hair out of her face.

Theresa nodded and whirled around the tables delivering sandwiches. It was noon on a Saturday, their busiest time. Jerry was in the kitchen making sandwiches and both Justin and Max were waiting on tables like their mother.

"Hey, Justin!" Alex didn't bother to move, just hollered to her older brother.

"Yeah?" He cam over and answered.

"Mom told me to tell you to go get the mail."

"Oh, okay. Can you cover my shift while I'm gone?" Justin reached for the knot in his apron to undo it when she stopped him.

"Justin, I am very busy right now. I'm sorry but I just can't." She shook her head solemnly and patted his hand.

"You're reading a magazine and eating raw sugar." Justin stated.

"Pfft, no! I'm waiting for customers to pay!" Alex scoffed.

Justin rolled his eyes and left.

Fifteen minutes later Justin came back with a stack of letters, flyers and bills.

"Can you give these to mom for me?" He handed his sister the pile and went back to work.

"Hey mom, got the mail for you!" Alex called to Theresa, ignoring Justin's outraged look.

The Russo made it through the day mostly unscathed. Later as they sat around after dinner watching wrestling on TV, Theresa went through the mail.

"Oh, Jerry. We need to talk." Everyone turned to Theresa to see her face bone white and her hands shaking.

"What's wrong?" Jerry's usually carefree tone of voice was now serious and stern.

"Kids go upstairs!" Theresa didn't sound like her usually self either. Her voice was shocked and quivered with fear.

No one argued, they just left.

At the top of the stairs, Alex stopped. She quietly pulled out her wand and whispered the hearing spell.

"Alex what are you doing?" Justin grabbed her arm but she shook away.

"I want to know what has Mom so panicked." She whispered.

"Maybe it's the fact that you're not going to university like Harper and everyone else your age." Justin smirked.

"Shut up! I just don't know what to do with my life yet!" She snapped.

"You're just going to be here for the rest of your life. Serving sandwiches and living with mom and dad. While I'm at Harvard." He still had that self-satisfied smirk on his face.

She shoved him and he was about to retaliate but surprisingly, Max shushed them both.

"I want to hear what their saying!" By now, Max also had the ear of a bat spell on.

They all fell silent and listened.

"He's old enough to know." Their dad sounded so serious.

"No! He's just a baby! _My _baby! I don't care who-" after that their mothers voice dropped so low, even their bat ears couldn't pick it up.

"Theresa! Maybe with Eleanor's death, it's the perfect time. We could do it now." The dad's voice rose suddenly.

Their mother sniffled. "Alright. Call them down."

Jerry shouted, "Kids! Come down here!"

Max, Alex and Justin winced at the volume the bat ears weren't used to. The reversed the spell and went to their parents.

Theresa had tears in her eyes, and Jerry had never looked more solemn.

"We have something to tell you." Jerry began, "We just got a letter in the mail saying your Great Aunt Eleanor just died."

"Oh, that's too bad." Said Justin, the most mature out of the three children. They recognized that it was a sad occasion, but couldn't summon up any emotion for them woman they had never met.

"She died from a rare blood disease passed down by genetics. You all and your father have to be tested." Theresa finally spoke.

Alex groaned and moaned and rolled her eyes and Max complained about hospitals and needles and doctors.

"But that's what we want to talk about. Alex and Max will have to be tested……. but not you Justin." Jerry sounded hesitant and glanced at his wife. She nodded and he continued.

"You see Justin, you're…… adopted." Jerry said quietly.

Alex gasped. Max also looked shocked. But Justin had this blank expression on his face, like he couldn't even hear them.

Theresa jumped in, "We love you so much, and you're still our son even if I wasn't the one to birth you! You're still my little mijo! You're still Justin Russo!"

"Why did you lie to me?" Justin sounded confused and hurt.

"We thought you were too young to know before now. And you're mother- your birth mother- never wanted you to know." Jerry responded.

"What's her name? Who is she? Is she a wizard? Why did she give me up?" Justin's confused questions burst from his mouth.

"Her name is Emma Arden and no, she is not a wizard. But your birth father is. She was only eighteen when she had you, and not ready to raise a son. She was my neighbor growing up, and my sister used to baby sit her all the time. Our families were very close. So when you were born, she knew that we wanted kids, and she wasn't ready yet, and we adopted you."

Alex felt sick to her stomach, so she could only imagine how Justin felt. She sat next to him on the couch and half-consciously grabbed his hand. She felt his hand squeeze hers and she squeezed back for support.

Max sat on the other side of Justin. It was like they were supporting their brother without words.

"So wait- Justin's not really my brother?" Max still didn't get it.

"No, no! He is! But just not genetically." Theresa sounded so afraid and sad.

"I think I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight Max and Alex. Goodnight Jerry and Theresa." Justin said this coldly and robotically. He turned towards the stairs.

His words were like a slap to the face for Theresa. She flinched and blinked back tears. She walked onto the terrace and Jerry followed.

Alex raced up the stairs to Justin's room. She knocked quietly on the door. "Justin, it's Alex. Can I come in?"

He opened the door and smiled a smile full of sarcasm and scorn. "I think that's the first time you've ever knocked on my door."

"Yeah, well, there's a first for everything." She tried to make him laugh, smile at least. But his face didn't change.

"Are you okay?" She was scared of what she had witnessed downstairs. It was foreign and twisted. Justin _was _her brother. He loved and protected her and put up with all her crap. There wasn't any question.

"I'm fine, Alex." She hated the way his voice sounded. It was too mechanical and cold. It sounded nothing like Justin Russo.

"No, you're not. Do you want to talk about it?" For once, she didn't mock him or tease him.

His eyes filled with tears.

"Justin-"

"It's my allergies, okay?!" He turned away from her and gripped his desk chair.

Without a word she wrapped her arms around him. She just held his shaking body. Eventually he turned around and hugged her back. He hugged her hard and rested his head on hers. She could feel his tears wetting her hair.

Alex didn't know or care how long they stood in each others embrace. Justin needed her. He sniffed and let go of her.

"I'll see you in the morning." Alex said to Justin.

"Um, yeah. I'll see you then." He said. She turned to go but at the sound of her name she stopped, "Alex-"

"What?" She asked.

It seemed like he changed his mind. He just shook his head.

Alex left his room and went into her own. From her bed she could hear her mother's sobs from downstairs and her father trying to comfort her.

She turned off the light and sat in the dark. Nothing was as it was before.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N um yeah i know i abandoned this for more than a year but my inspiration just died. Like seriously, it was sad. But i've decided to continue it and i really hope people read it and like it!**

Alex held her breath as she tip-toed down the hallway past her parent's room. She winced as she stepped on the creak in the floor. She froze for a second but all she could hear were her father's snores. She slithered down the stairs and ran over to the fridge. She opened it and snatched the slice of triple-layer, double chocolate, cake with extra icing sitting there.

"Come to mama." She whispered pulling a fork out of the cutlery drawer.

"Alex?" A voice said from behind her.

She jumped in surprise, almost dropping her cake. She flipped on the light to see Justin standing by the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, hey Justin." She said calmly.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked.

"Um..." She said, glancing down at her cake. "Nothing much. You?"

For the first time she noticed that he was wearing real clothes and shoes even though it was after two AM and he should be in his PJs. He had a duffel bag with him and was even wearing a jacket.

"What are you doing?" She asked him in confusion.

"Just gonna go for a walk." He said nonchalantly.

"Really?" She said in total disbelief. "Why do you have a bag with you then?"

"Uh, I like to feed to birds and this is a bag of bird seed." He said awkwardly. He always was a bad liar.

"Oh really." She said dangerously. She slowly walked towards him and as she moved closer, he backed up. "I think you're lying."

"Well, I think you're going to eat dad's – _Mr Russo's _– special chocolate cake that he was saving to eat tomorrow. The one he said he'd kill us for if we ate it." Justin said.

Alex just rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning on eating the cake until dad said if I ate it, I would be past dead. I never back down from a challenge."

It was Justin's turn to roll his eyes. "Alex-" He started to say but she cut him off.

"And you don't have to call him 'Mr Russo'. He's still your dad." She said softly.

Justin's eyes turned hard. "He isn't my father. And I want to find out who is."

"What? What are you talking about?" Alex asked in confusion.

"I looked up Emma Arden on the internet. I'm going to see her and ask her about her and my father and why they gave me up. I'm going right now." He whispered.

"No!" Alex said, startled. "You can't. You're so messed up by this, it could hurt you more. Just give it some time. Wait a little while."

"I have waited!" He said furiously. "I waited all week! I was going to go the night they told me, but I wanted to make sure you and Max weren't sick from that blood disease. So today when you found out it was negative, I started packing my bag."

"Justin..." She said helplessly. She didn't want him to go.

"I'm sorry Alex." He said, picking up his bag off the ground. "But I have to do this."

"Then let me come with you!" She said suddenly, grabbing onto his arm.

"No! I'm sorry Alex, but I have to do this alone." He shook her off and started to walk to the door, but she just grabbed onto his arm again.

"But we've always done things together! And you always save my ass so maybe this time for me to save yours! I know you're hurting and I just... I just don't want you to be alone." She whispered softly. And to her extreme embarrassment, she felt tears rising in her eyes.

Justin's expression seemed to soften a bit. He slowly reached out and patted her shoulder. "I'm not coming back, Alex."

She gasped. "W-what?"

"I said, after I talk to Emma, I won't be coming back. I'll get a job and my own apartment and maybe in time, I will have saved enough money to finish University." Justin said coldly.

"No!" Alex cried. "Why would you say something like that? You can't possibly mean it!"

"But I do. This isn't my family. This is _your _family. _Your _parents lied to me for twenty years. I don't owe them anything."

"But what about me?" She asked.

He turned away for a second then looked back at her. "I'm sorry, Alex."

She felt tears running down her face and might have seen a shimmer of a tear in Justin's eye as well. She took a deep breath then said, "Then I'm coming with you!"

"What? No, you can't." Justin cried.

"Yes I can! I don't have anything here! I'm not going to university and I don't have any plans past eating that cake. You're my brother, Justin. Even if we aren't technically related." She finished softly.

"Alex, I can't let you do this." Justin muttered.

"You're not the boss of me." She snapped. "I'm eighteen and I want to help my brother."

She thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his lips before he said, "Well, if you're sure, go pack a suitcase quickly."

She smirked at him and waved her wand in the air. Suddenly, there was a hot pink duffel bag the size of a hockey bag sitting beside her and she was wearing a deep purple peasant style top with a black vest overtop and skinny jeans and black flats. Justin just rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so we're going to take the IPP." He said. "It's in the lair."

She flashed them both down with their suitcases. He shot her an irritated look. She grinned.

He grabbed the control and punched in the digits. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"Faireville." He replied. "It's in Florida, near Tampa."

She nodded and bit her lip. For the first time after impulsively volunteering to run away with Justin, she was feeling a little bit nervous. But when he asked her, "Ready to go?" She didn't say no.

He took her hand and the IPP sucked them up and took them all the way across the country. They landed outside a little house on a dirt road. The house was old looking but well cared for with a pretty veranda outside it with a rocking bench and potted flowers. There were trees all around and flowers and Alex could smell the ocean very strongly. The house was probably on the beach. There was an old car sitting in the driveway and there were no lights on in the house.

"So now what do we do, genius?" Alex snapped. "It's the middle of the night! Obviously she's not awake!"

"Hmmm... I didn't think this far ahead." Justin murmured. Alex sighed.

"Well," Justin said. "We could wait out here for her, but someone will probably see us and call the police so I think we should go into town. There's probably a 24 hour restaurant or something we can chill in until morning."

Alex flashed them again into the town. It was tiny, as far as she could see in the darkness, but sweet looking with beach front stores and bars and palm trees everywhere. There was indeed a 24 hour restaurant. They were the only ones in there. Justin ordered a coffee and a blue berry muffin and Alex ordered chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs and a strawberry milkshake. They ate in silence for a bit with the sleepy looking waitress lazily wiping a booth down behind them.

"Thank you, by the way." Justin said quietly. "For coming with me. It means a lot to me. I really would've hated being alone."

She grinned. "I knew it! And it's okay, because it gave me a free vacation!"

He rolled his eyes but she could see a tiny smile on his lips. She tried to stay awake but she did soon fall asleep. She woke up hours later with her head resting on Justin's shoulder and his jacket wrapped around her like a blanket. She felt a little embarrassed but quickly shook off that feeling.

"Come on," Justin said. "It's eight thirty. She'll probably be awake by now."

He helped her up and they walked outside the restaurant. The sun was up by now, but still not very high in the sky. All the stores were opening and people were just starting to walk around. Alex flashed them back to Emma's place. Now that she could see it in the sunlight, she really liked it. It was bright yellow with dark blue shutters. There were flowers everywhere and palm trees swaying in the breeze gently. There were other houses like hers on that dirt road, all looking old but well cared for.

They walked up the cement walkway right to her door. The stood on the front porch for a minute. And then another minute. And then another.

"Justin." Alex prodded. "Aren't you going to knock on the door?"

"Oh yeah, right." He murmured. He raised his fist, just to lower it again. "I can't. It was stupid to come here."

"No, it was brave." Alex said kindly. "Just knock on the door. You didn't come all this way to chicken out, did you?"

"No, no you're right." He said. He took a breath and quickly knocked on the worn wooden door.

It opened right away. In the doorway stood a woman in her late thirties with curling brown hair that looked like it had a touch of red in the morning sun. She had silvery green eyes, just like Justin and was petite and slender. Her hair fell just to her shoulders and she was wearing yoga pants and a light blue t-shirt.

"Uh, Emma?" Justin asked, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Emma Arden?"

"Yes?" She said kindly. "And who are you?"

"Justin Russo." He whispered. "Your son."

**A/N dun dun duh! Lol okay pretty please review and tell me what you think? this story is so old and was it was a mistake to revive it or did you actually like it? Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N thank you for all the great reviews! I will try my best to make this story great!**

Emma stood on the doorstep to her home with her mouth hanging open like a fish. She stepped closer to them and reached her hand out to touch Justin's arm, as if to make sure this wasn't a dream.

"Justin?" She whispered.

He nodded mutely with tears in his eyes. Emma burst into tears and pulled him close to her. She was crying as she hugged him tight. Justin was crying as well and Alex was rolling her eyes. Emma was as emotional as Justin. Like mother, like son.

Finally, Emma sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Why don't you come in? I was just about to make breakfast."

"Yum!" Alex said. "Can you make pancakes?"

"You just had pancakes." Justin admonished gently.

Alex shrugged. "Yeah, but I want more."

Emma was giving her a strange look so Justin quickly said, "Oh, this is Alex, my... adoptive sister."

Alex flinched. That hurt more then she thought it would. How could Justin say that about her? They were still brother and sister! They were raised together and have treated each as brother and sister ever since Alex was born! She loves Justin just the same as she loves Max!

But instead of lashing out at him, she just bit her tongue and smiled. She wouldn't embarrass him at the first meeting with his birth mother.

Emma held the door open for them and ushered them inside. The front door opened to a little living room painted celery green with wicker couches and chairs in it. The furniture had blue cushions and there was a vase of fresh flowers sitting on a table by the couch. There was an old TV by the far wall and the light from the window shone through the room. A staircase was at the back of the room with a couch by it. It separated the right half of the house. Behind the stairs was a room where the walls were an off-white colour and the wooden floors were the colour of honey. There were huge windows reaching almost from the floor to the ceiling on the outward facing walls which showed an amazing view of the beach. The furniture was simple and white and there was a painting easel by the far wall.

There was an archway leading into the kitchen. It was sunshine yellow with an old wooden table by the back wall, underneath a picture window facing the ocean. The cupboards were made of light wood and there were post-it notes and lists all over. Emma did seem a lot like Justin. There was another archway in the kitchen leading the dining room. It was dark blue with a long wooden table the colour of sand. Another archway led out of the dining room and back into the sitting room at the front of the house.

"Your house is lovely." Justin said to Emma.

"Thank you." She said kindly as she poured coffee into three different mugs. Alex took a sip of the coffee and grinned as Emma put a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of her.

"So, why didn't you want me to know about you?" Justin asked eagerly.

"Well, I told your mother not to tell you that you were adopted until she felt the time was right. I did say I would prefer to not be talked about at all. But it was really up to your parents." Emma said.

"They aren't my parents." Justin said bitterly.

"They raised you. They may not have been the ones to conceive you but the love you. I know they do. They are good people." Emma said earnestly.

"How did you know them again?" Justin asked.

"I lived next door to them. We lived in Queens, in these little houses right next to each other. Our mother's were close friends and your father and uncle and aunt and I grew up together. You're father was eight years older than I was and Megan was six years older, and Kelbo was four. Kelbo and I were closer than your father and Megan were to me, but I still felt as if they were my cousins." Emma said quietly.

"Tell me more." Justin said eagerly. He was actually leaning forwards in his earnestness to hear more about his birth family.

"Your Aunt Megan would babysit me all the time when my parents went out. She was a little lazy so your father and uncle, who would usually tag along with her, would keep me entertained by their magic. I knew about it, and my parents did too, even though we weren't wizards. When I was seventeen and your father was twenty-five, he went on a vacation with a couple of his friends where he met your mother. It was love at first sight. He gave his powers to Kelbo, Megan ran off and he had a shot-gun wedding to Theresa." Emma explained with stars of nostalgia in her eyes.

Justin was quiet for a moment. Alex was staring at him. He looked very lost and confused. She didn't know what to say to him. He was usually the one who was strong, not her. He was the one to help her up when she falls down or fix all her mistakes.

Justin cleared his throat and Alex could actually see tears in his eyes. She sort of wanted to drag Justin away from Emma who was obviously hurting Justin as much as she was helping him, but Alex knew that Justin needed to hear what she had to say. And besides, she was curious as well.

"So how did dad and mom end up with Justin?" Alex asked.

"Well, they had been married about a year when I found out I was pregnant. I was only eighteen and I didn't know what to do. My friends suggested getting an abortion and your real father even said he would marry me. But I didn't want to do either of those things. I was going to give it – _you _– up for adoption but I didn't want a stranger having my baby. Theresa said that they would like to adopt you, Justin. So she did." Emma said tearfully.

Everyone was quiet for a second. Emma was crying softly and Justin just looked stunned. Alex sipped her coffee and stared out the window to the ocean that was crashing against the shore. She was broken out of her reverie by the ringing of her cell phone.

"Oh, it's dad!" She said, about to answer it.

Justin ripped it from her grasp and ran out of the kitchen, through the back door, down the porch, down the beach and threw it into the ocean.

"What the hell, Justin?" Alex screamed as she chased after him.

"They could track us with your phone! That's why I didn't bring my phone or laptop." Justin said.

"You are such a freak! You didn't have to chuck it into the ocean!" She shrieked.

They heard a phone ringing from inside the house and Emma answer it. She leaned out the kitchen window to where Justin and Alex were standing on the beach.

"It's your parents," She said with a knowing smirk on her face. "They want to talk to you."

She dangled the phone out the window and Alex gave Justin a dirty look as she ran over to answer it. She heard him mumble, "Of course they would have her phone number. Of course."

"Hey." Alex said into the old white cordless phone.

"Alex, you get the hell back here right now!" Theresa screeched into the phone.

Alex sighed and dropped down on the steps of the back porch. Justin was still pacing on the beach and running his hands through his hair.

"I can't mom, sorry." Alex said.

"Is Justin there with you?" Theresa asked worriedly.

"Yes he is." Alex said.

"Let me talk to him!"

Alex moved the phone away from her face and gestured to it to Justin. His eyes widened and he shook his head furiously. '_No, no!' _He mouthed quickly and waved his hands.

"He's busy right now, sorry." She said into the phone.

"_He's busy?" _Theresa shrieked. She swore loudly in Spanish then shouted into the phone, "I don't care if he's busy! Put him on the damn phone!"

"Mom, Justin is still upset. I don't think he's ready to talk." Alex said quietly.

Theresa was quiet for a minute before exploding again, "Fine, but he has to talk to us sooner or later! I am so upset! I never meant for this to happen! And for you to just disappear as well! I mean, it didn't take a genius to figure out you were with your brother but you could've at least left a note like he did!"

"Justin left a note?" This was news to her.

"Yes, it's here somewhere." Alex could hear Theresa rustling some paper around. She cleared her throat before reading the note.

"_Dear Theresa and Jerry Russo, _

_I'm going to find my real family and meet them for myself. I know you didn't mean to hurt me but you still did. I can't stay here any longer knowing that I don't belong. After I talk to my birth parents, I will get a job and my own apartment. I can't imagine coming back here. This will probably be the last time you see me._

_Sincerely, _

_Justin"_

Theresa's voice cracked at the ending and she was sobbing again.

"Let me talk, honey." Jerry said and Alex could hear her mother pass the phone to her father. She could still hear Theresa crying in the background.

"Alex, come home." Jerry said.

Alex shook her head even though she knew that her father couldn't see her. "I can't." She whispered. "I have to be with Justin."

"Then both of you come home!" He said.

"Maybe in a bit, dad. Justin is dealing with things." Alex whispered.

"Alright." Her father agreed. "Come home soon."

"I will." She said. They hung up the phone and Alex shut her eyes to stop the tears. It hurt, lying to her parents. She knew she would never go home. Not as long as Justin wasn't there.

"Have you finished talking to your parents yet?" Emma asked, holding the back door open.

Alex cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah."

"Then go get Justin! I have something to show him!" Emma said and ran back into the house.

Alex got off the steps and wandered down the beach. Justin was a little ways away from the house, throwing rocks into the ocean.

"Hey." Alex said.

"Oh hi, Alex." He said gloomily.

"Emma wants to show you something." Alex said.

"I think you should go back home." Justin blurted out.

"No!" She immediately cried. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Justin. He was standing in front of her. He wouldn't meet her eyes and kept shuffling his feet.

"Alex, you're giving up everything to help me with this. I can't let you do that." He said quietly. She knew he felt guilty.

"I don't care what you want!" She snapped. "You need me so I'm staying! Now shut up and get back to the house, your birth mother wants show you something!"

She stomped away from him but stopped when she noticed he wasn't following her. She turned around to see him with a big grin on his face.

"Thank you." He said.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. He ran over to her and swept her up in a hug.

"Okay now put me down, weirdo. Emma wants see you." Alex said.

They walked back to Emma's house and in through the back door to the kitchen.

On the kitchen table was a dusty old box. Emma was standing beside it and grinning.

"I found this in the attic when Alex was on the phone." She said, gesturing to the box. "It has pictures of your father and baby pictures of you and stuff."

She reached in and pulled out a framed picture of a much younger looking Emma standing beside a man. It was snowing in the picture and there was a snowman beside them. Emma was laughing and the man wasn't looking at the camera, but at her. You could tell just by the look in his eyes that he was in love with her.

"Who's this?" Alex asked. But when she looked up from the picture, she already knew. Justin and Emma both had tears in their eyes. It was Justin's father.

"Jake Thomas." Emma whispered.

The man had Justin's black hair and long, straight nose. He actually looked a lot like Justin. But his hair was long and scraggly to his shoulders. His eyes were hazel and he was about the same height and weight as Justin. His eyes were more mischievous and he was smirking like Justin never did. But he was clearly Justin's father.

"So where is he?" Alex asked.

Emma took a deep shuddering breath and whispered, "He's... he's dead."

**A/N so what did you guys think? pretty please with candy on top review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N thank you so much for all the great reviews! I got the most reviews for this story that chapter! And thanks to everyone who favourite or put my story on alert! And i don't own WOWP. **

There was a stunned silence all around the table. Justin sat there with his mouth gaping open and his eyes blinking rapidly. Emma was crying and Alex just froze. This was all too weird. Justin's dad was _dead? _Justin would be crushed. Now he would never get to meet his real father.

"H-how?" Justin mumbled incoherently. "How did it happen?"

"Motorcycle accident." Emma sniffled. "I _told _him to slow down!"

"He had a motorcycle?" Alex said. "That's cool. Are you sure Justin's related to him?"

Emma gave her a confused look and Justin kicked her under the table. "Not the time." He muttered.

"Jake had a motorcycle that ran on magic. It could fly and go invisible and camouflage. It also had super speed. We were driving on this abandoned field so he could go as fast as he wanted and there was no one to tell him to slow down. I was wearing his helmet. He only had one and he would always make me wear it when I was on the bike. He – he lost control and the brakes broke. He crashed and I – I couldn't save him." Emma sobbed.

Justin's eyes welled with tears as well. He awkwardly put an arm around his mother. Alex felt like she was intruding upon a special family moment. She was about to leave but the look Justin shot her made her stay. He looked so lost and confused and heartbroken. But he looked relived and almost grateful that she was there with him. Emma cleared her throat.

"He was a good man." She said.

"When did he die?" Justin asked faintly.

"About six years after you were born. We were about twenty-four." She whispered.

Justin bit his lip and dropped his gaze to his lap. He hunched his shoulders and clenched his fists. Alex knew he was feeling guilty for living happily while his unknown father was dead. He had lived almost his whole life with his father dead and gone and he had no idea. Alex knew that this would hurt Justin more than the fact that he was adopted.

"I think I'm going to take a walk." Justin said quietly.

He got up from the table and Alex started to get up after him but he said firmly, "Alone."

Alex dropped back into her seat with a scowl. Justin walked out the back door and along the beach until he was out of sight.

Emma sighed, "I never expected this day would come."

"You never thought that my parents would tell him the truth?" Alex asked.

"Well, I hoped not." Emma admitted. "Justin is a great kid but he must be feeling so confused and hurt right now. I knew it would turn out like this."

"So Justin's father was a wizard?" Alex asked.

"Yes, and he was an only child so he never competed in that challenge thing. Both of his parents were wizards as well. I was an only child too." Emma said.

"Sometimes I wished I was an only child but honestly, I really am glad Max and Justin are my brothers. And Justin still is my brother even if we aren't related by blood." Alex said.

Emma gave her a sly look, "You still think of Justin like a brother?"

"Of course." Alex said back. "Nothing has changed."

Emma just smirked and shrugged. She started to clear up the breakfast dishes and flipped on the radio. Alex sighed and stared out the window. She could understand that Justin was feeling really messed up by this but he had never not wanted her around before! They were a team, they did things together! She pouted and kicked a chair leg.

The doorbell rang and Emma said, "Alex, can you get that?"

Alex pranced over to the front door and swung it open. She took a step back in shock. There was a young guy at the other side of the door, maybe about her age or a little older. He was tall and slim with shaggy blond hair and sky blue eyes. And the cutest dimples in his cheeks.

"Hi." Alex said.

" I'm Beau." He said. "Is Emma there?"

"Yeah, but she's busy right now." Alex said.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" Beau asked her.

"Oh, I'm Alex. I'm here visiting with my brother who isn't really my brother. Emma is his birth mother so he came on a quest to find out more about her and I sort of just tagged along." She said chirpily.

He looked a little taken aback, "Wow, that's... complicated. Anyway, can you just give her back her gardening tools please? My mom borrowed them and she says thank you."

He handed her a spade, a pair of gardening gloves and a couple of other things she couldn't identify.

"'Kay!" She said. "Maybe I'll see you later?" She said pretending to be shy and coy. She glanced up at him underneath her eyelashes and smiled innocently.

"Yeah, sure!" He said with a grin. "I live right next door."

She smirked and shut the door. She wandered back into the kitchen and dumped the gardening tools on the kitchen table.

"Oh was that Beau? He's such a sweet kid." Emma said fondly.

"Yeah. And he's cute too!" Alex said, laughing.

"Alex, can you take these tools to the shed please? It's on the other side of the car, to the left of the house." Emma said, pointing out the window with a dish soap covered hand.

Alex picked up the tools again and walked out the back door. She walked past the car and through a cluster of ferns to an old red shed. She pulled open the door to see a pottery wheel and shelves of pottery. There was a small kiln in the corner and the whole shed smelled vaguely of clay. In the other corner was a shelf of other gardening supplies so Alex just dropped the tools there. She came back into the house to find Emma leaning anxiously out the kitchen window and peering down the beach.

"Any sign of him?" Alex asked. She would never admit that she was desperately worried for her brother.

"Not yet." Emma sighed.

The two women spent the rest of the afternoon playing cards and pacing the floor. When the sun started to go down Emma set the barbeque out on the back porch and started to cook burgers, hoping that the smell would entice him home. It didn't work. The evening was spent in silence. When it was so late, Alex was falling asleep at the kitchen table, Emma decided to give up.

"He's obviously isn't coming home tonight." She said, frowning. "You should just go to bed."

Emma walked through the Window Room (as Alex had taken to calling it) and up the stairs to the second floor. She opened the door on the right to reveal a tiny but cozy room painted light blue with pretty white furniture. The bedding was fluffy and white and there was a picture of an open window with a curtain blowing in the breeze above the desk. There was a window seat overlooking the driveway and forest across the street. There was a dresser right by the door with a big mirror and lots of drawers.

Alex magicked her suitcase from the front room up to her and plopped down on the bed.

"I hope you will be comfortable here." Emma said softly. "I'll tell you when Justin comes home."

Alex curled up on the bed as Emma left the room and shut the door behind her. She was so worried about Justin, she could hardly breathe. She bit her lip anxiously and tried not to jump to the worst conclusions. Like he was feeling so upset over his father dying, he felt he had to join him in the afterlife so he jumped off a set of rocks. Or, he waded into the ocean and the tide dragged him under. Alex took a deep breath and eventually fell asleep.

When she woke again, the moon was much higher in the sky. She realized she had fallen asleep in her clothes. But she couldn't sleep anymore so she wandered down the stairs and into the Window Room. The easel was still sitting blank by the window so she guiltily looked around and walked over to it. There were paints by the easel in little covered containers. She curiously opened one. It was deep, midnight blue. She looked at the canvas again. Then to the canvas. Then back to the paint. Then out the huge floor length windows. She picked up a brush, dipped it into the paint and dragged it across the canvas. She lost herself in the painting after that. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings until a familiar voice shook her concentration.

"What are you doing up?" Justin asked, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Nothing." She said nonchalantly. "Just painting."

He looked at her painting. It was the view out the window. The moon was high in the deep blue sky over nearly black waters. It left a streak of white as the reflection and the sand was nearly white leading to the beach.

"It's good." He said, impressed.

"Oh, thanks." She said calmly. "Oh hey, Justin?"

"Yeah?"

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU ALL DAY?" She shrieked.

"It was a lot to take in! I needed some alone time!" He cried.

"You were gone the _whole day_! We were worried!" She shouted.

He grinned, amused. "You were worried about me?"

She crossed her arms and refused to look in his smug direction. "Well, more Emma, less me. Oh, what does it matter? Just go to bed! I'm too tired to yell at you right now!"

He grinned and yanked her into a tight hug. She hugged back then shoved him away from her and ran up the stairs.

**A/N so what did you guys think? some new information in this chapter. Please please review and tell me what you think! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N thanks so much for all the amazing reviews! Im really having fun with this storyand im glad you guys like it! I don't own wowp because if i did, things would be a little different lol.**

Alex woke to the sound of laughter and the smell of bacon frying. For a second she was confused, what was she doing here? The she remembered, Justin's mother, sleepover and waking up in the middle of the night. She was under the covers this time. The blankets smelled like lilac. She got up and threw on cut-off jean shorts and a t-shirt that read '_If You Can't be a Good Example, be a Warning'_. She tied her hair back into a sloppy bun and slipped into some flip-flops. She left her blue and white room and walked down the stairs to the kitchen where she found Justin and Emma standing by the oven and chatting easily.

"Good morning, Alex!" Justin said cheerfully.

"Would you like some eggs and bacon?" Emma asked, holding up the frying pan.

"Just some coffee for now." Alex mumbled and collapsed into a kitchen chair. She dropped her head onto the table and tried not to fall back asleep.

"So I saw your painting you left on the easel." Emma said.

"Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean to use your stuff. I just couldn't sleep." Alex murmured.

"No I think it's good!" Emma said. "Actually, Justin was just telling me that you're an artist."

Alex gave Justin a dirty look. "Well, I wouldn't really say I'm an artist." She admitted.

"Oh, well I have this friend who owns an art gallery. I'm sure he would love to see some of her work." Emma said slyly.

Alex's head shot up immediately. "He owns an art gallery?"

"Just here in Faireville. But he has correspondents with people in Tampa who could really set you up."Emma said, pouring her a mug of coffee.

Alex gasped. Her eyes widened and she just stared at Emma. This could be it! Her dreams of being a famous artist could finally come true!

"I'm so happy for you, Alex." Justin said sweetly.

"I have some more news." Emma burst out. "I was wondering what your plans are for the summer."

"Uh, I don't know." Justin said, glancing at Alex. "I was thinking we would talk to you then I would rent an apartment and get a job."

"Well, I have a better idea." Emma said, clasping her hands together. "I want you two to stay with me for the rest of the summer! There is so much I want to tell you about your father and I. And I want to get to know you!"

"That sounds great!"Justin said. "What do you think, Alex?"

"Cool with me!" She said, still in a happy fog from the art gallery news. "I think celebrations are in order."

She waved her wand and suddenly, Emma's little kitchen was replaced with a club. There was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and loud music was pumping. It was dark and random strangers were dancing to the latest song on the radio. A strobe light was flashing and Alex cheered and started to move along to the beat.

"Alex! Turn it back now!" Justin shouted.

"No way!" She said, laughing. "This is so much fun!"

Emma looked a little freaked out but Alex let herself get carried away by the party atmosphere. A man came up to her and offered her hand to dance. She giggled and reached towards him. Suddenly, he was gone and she was back in Emma's kitchen. Emma still looked stunned and Justin was glaring.

"Alex, you need to stop being so reckless! Emma isn't used to magic!" He shouted.

"Excuse me for wanting to have some fun!" She shouted back.

"It's nine in the morning! It's too early for a club!" He said, totally exasperated.

"Guys! You don't have to argue about every little thing!" Emma said.

"I do when she's being ridiculous!" Justin snapped.

"You're just too uptight!" Alex shouted back.

"Okay that's it, why don't you to just go outside. Go take your anger out on each other on the beach. Just don't drown each other." Emma teased.

Alex pouted and stomped out the back door, deliberately slamming it in Justin's face. She kicked off her flip-flops and ran down the beach. Justin chased after her laughing.

"ALEX!" He cried.

She ran around and around until she collapsed onto the sand laughing. He sat next to her and she moved her fingers through the hot sand.

"It's really nice here." She whispered.

"Yeah it is." Justin said back.

They just stared out to the deep blue ocean breathing in the salty air and relaxing on the golden sand.

"Do you... do you still like me even though I'm not your brother?" Justin asked softly.

Alex propped herself up on her elbows. "Of course. Why do you ask that?"

"Well, it just seemed like you only tolerated me because you had to, but now that we're not actually brother and sister..." Justin trailed off.

Alex frowned, "Justin you know I don't do feelings and stuff very well. I like you, I just show it weirdly. And nothing has changed! I still feel like you're my dorky older brother." She said with an affectionate smile.

He gave her a small smile back. "But why did you start resenting me in the first place? We were so close as children."

"I don't know." She muttered. "I guess it was when you got your powers. I think I was jealous. It was just another thing for you to be amazing at."

He turned his face to look at her. They were both lying side by side on the beach, the fingers barely touching. She was ten and he was twelve when he got his powers. Most wizards first get their powers in their early teens, when they're going through puberty.

"That's why? I thought you hated me." Justin said, relieved.

"No, I don't hate you. I was just tired of you being better than me." She admitted.

"I'm not better then you." He said teasingly. "Just better looking."

"Oh, yeah right!" She cried, laughing. "And I did beat you at the Wizard Competition on the vacation."

"Alex, you only beat me because we aren't related." He said.

The smile slowly faded from her lips, "What?"

"It was _your _family's competition and since we aren't from the same family, there was no way I could win." He said.

She frowned and sat up straight. She said to him, "Are you saying you're a better wizard then I am?"

"Alex, come on." He said with a smile. "But you're a really great wizard, too. And since the competition is between you and Max, I know you'll win. Since I'm an only child, technically, I won't have to compete."

She glared at him and stood up. She walked off down the beach and crossed her arms. She could hear him stand up and come after her.

"Alex, what's wrong?" He asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

She took a deep breath and tried to control the sudden need to kick him where the sun doesn't shine.

"You always act like you're so much better than I am!" She said. "This is why we stopped hanging out!"

"Alex, I was just stating the obvious." He said, confused. "You won because you weren't competing with someone from your family. I never said anything about your magical abilities."

"Yeah, but you implied it!" She snapped.

"Alex – " Justin started to say, reaching towards her, but she just slapped his hand away.

She waved her wand and turned him into a frog.

"There!" She hissed. "You see? I _am _better then you!"

She ran from the little frog with misty green eyes and through the back door. Emma was flipping through a magazine and called after her, "Alex, are you hungry? I was just about to make lunch!"

But Alex just ignored her and slammed her bedroom door shut. She collapsed onto the white bed and willed herself not to cry. She always knew that she wasn't as good as Justin but for some reason it hurt more when he said it out loud. She must've fallen asleep because when she net opened her eyes, the light was different. She heard a quiet knock on the door and Emma slowly walked in.

"Hey, honey." She said soothingly. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." Alex muttered. "But, whatever. It doesn't matter."

"Okay, if you're sure." Emma said, her brow furrowing with worry. "And Beau from next door is over. He wants to know if you would be up for a tour of the town and some dinner."

"Beau?" Alex said, brightening up considerably. "Yeah, sure! I'll be right down!"

This could be just the thing to cheer her up. A little fun with a cute Southern boy was the perfect cure for fighting with your brother. She scrubbed off her smeared make up and applied some fresh make up. She slipped on a high-waisted navy blue skirt and a short-sleeved white peasant style top. She pulled on blank flats and impatiently brushed her dark curls. She then clipped the left side of her hair behind her ear with a glittery gold clip. She grabbed her purse and hurried down the stairs.

Beau was standing at the front door and smiled when he saw her. Justin was sitting on the couch staring determinedly at the TV and ignoring Beau. Emma came out of the kitchen to say good-bye.

"Hey Justin, you feeling okay?" Alex asked snarkily. "Because you're looking a little _green._"

He didn't even look at her. She pouted but tried to ignore the hurt feeling.

"Have fun you two!" Emma said cheerfully. "But be back by eleven!"

"Goodnight, Emma." Beau said politely.

Alex waved and he led her outside to the next house over. He held the door open for her and helped her into his old blue pickup truck. She smiled when he looked at her, but still couldn't stop thinking about her fight with Justin.

**A/N thanks for reading! I really hope you guys review! Okay, school is starting again tomorrow and exams are coming up plus i have a mountain of assignments and ISUs and whatnot so forgive me if i take a little longer to update! Peace! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n thanks for all the great reviews guys! It really means a lot to me that you guys like the story! I don't own it, just the idea for this fanfic. :D **

Beau's eyes shimmered with excitement as he led her around town. They had parked the truck and he was now leading her on a walking tour of Faireville. It was a very quaint town, with lots of flowers and cute beachfront stores. There weren't that many tourists as the town was very small – it had just over two thousand people – but it was busy. Everyone was laughing and having fun in the warm evening light. There were families with dogs and ice cream cones and couples walking hand-in-hand. Beau obviously loved his town. Almost everyone they passed said hi to him and greeted him. He seemed to know everyone by name and was very kind.

"Are you like a celebrity here or something?" Alex asked in amusement as an elderly lady walked off after getting into a long discussion with Beau about the faulty traffic lights.

He laughed and said, "Not quite. My family just has a lot of business here. My dad is the Chief of Police and my mother runs a book shop. And my uncle owns a garage and I work with him. My grandfather was the mayor for a very long time until he retired two years ago. So everyone kind of knows our family."

"Wow, that's so cool." Alex said, impressed. "In New York, everyone is more worried about getting to where they're going, rather than actually getting to know people. I don't even know my next door neighbours' names."

He looked shocked and she laughed at the ridiculous expression on his face.

"Come on," He said, taking her hand. "Let's eat in here."

They walked into a little restaurant with a big patio with twinkle lights draped over the railing. It had a lovely view of the ocean and the sunset over it. The hostess lit up when she saw Beau.

"Beau Fairchild!" She exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" He asked politely. "How is your husband?"

"Oh, he's fine." She said, waving a hand airily. "He actually just got offered a new job at the bank."

"That's great!" Beau said sincerely.

"Would you like a table inside or on the patio?" She asked him.

"On the patio please." Beau said with a wink towards Alex. "It's my friend's first time in Florida."

The hostess gasped. "Really?" She asked. "Then you two need the best table we have! Come with me."

She led them around to an almost secluded table with a clear and beautiful view of the ocean.

"Thanks, Ashley. This is great." Beau said sweetly. "And please say hi to Jim for me!"

Ashley laughed and went back to the kitchens, promising to be back soon to get their drink orders.

Alex smirked at him. "You _are _famous! You should totally use that to get our dinner for free!"

He laughed and said, "I'm just friends with everyone! Ashley was two years ahead of me in school, of course I know her! And I could never take advantage of someone!"

She grinned and shook her head ruefully, "You wouldn't have lasted two minutes in New York."

He laughed again and they stayed at the restaurant until it was dark. It was fun. Alex decided she liked him. She didn't feel a great love connection or anything, but she was attracted to him. Out of the corner of her eye, just as they were leaving, she saw a man with a grey sweatshirt standing out by the front entrance. That was a little odd, in her opinion, because it was so hot out to be wearing a sweatshirt. He was also wearing a baseball cap for the Tampa Bay Rays and sunglasses. As they were walking away from the restaurant, Alex asked Beau, "Who was that man?"

"What man?" He asked.

"The man standing by the entrance to the restaurant." She said. "I saw him as we were leaving."

"Oh." Beau said, his brow furrowing. "I didn't notice him."

Alex frowned but then quickly forgot about the strange man. Bea smiled at her with perfect teeth and adorable dimples and led her to the boardwalk.

"Want to take a walk?" He asked her.

He took her hand shyly and blushed when she smirked at him. They walked along the boardwalk on the beach in the moonlight and Alex was comfortable. Beau was a genuinely nice person. She didn't know many people like that. Well, maybe Justin. And Harper. And Max. And even her parents. Fine, everyone was genuinely nice compared to her.

She saw more stars here then she had ever seen in her entire life. She looked behind her to get a better view of the whole sky but was startled to see the man from the restaurant a little ways behind her and Beau. She frowned but ignored him. Beau probably knew him, Beau knew everyone. But she still moved closer to her handsome date and walked a bit faster. Beau was telling her about his latest surfing adventure but her mind was occupied with the stranger who seemed to be following them. She opened her purse and fingered the Mace she had there. She was a New Yorker. She never left home with pepper spray. Out of the corner of the eye, she saw the man coming closer so she quickly whipped around and kicked him in his private area. She then sprayed him in the eyes with the pepper spray and jumped back as she he shrieked and stumbled to the ground.

Beau yelled and pulled Alex behind him, but Alex tugged her arm away from him.

"Who the hell are you and why have you been following us?" She shouted at the man with her hands on her hips.

He then pulled off his hat and sunglasses to reveal himself.

"_Justin_?" Alex screeched. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up at her with red, watering eyes and choked out. "I-I was checking up on you to make sure you were okay."

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him. "God, I can't believe you!" She said, totally disgusted. "I'm not fourteen anymore, you don't have to care about you I go out with!"

"You didn't know him! You went out with a complete stranger!" He said.

"I met him before! And Emma is always saying how nice he is!" Alex shot back. "What, are you jealous that I'm going out with someone and you're still alone?"

He shot her a very cold look that made her actually take a step back. He sighed in a world-weary kind of way and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"You should just go home, Justin." Alex said forcefully.

He gave her a long look that she couldn't quite figure out then turned and walked back the way he came.

"That was your brother?" Beau said in shock.

"Yup. Justin." Alex growled.

"Why was he following us?" Beau asked.

"Because he is an idiot and thinks he has to protect me from everything." Alex grumbled.

Beau frowned again. Alex pouted. They tried continuing their conversation, but the evening was clearly over. He drove her home and walked her up to the front porch. The porch light was flicked on and they stood awkwardly in front of the door for a second before he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight, Alex." He whispered.

"Goodnight." She whispered back.

He walked down the front steps and over to his house next door. Alex walked through the front door to see Emma sitting on the couch watching Jeopardy.

"Hey, Alex." She said. "How was the date?"

Alex skipped right to the chase. "Why did you let Justin follow me?"

Emma sighed. "I'm sorry. We were eating dinner when he said he wanted to get something in town and he wanted to borrow my car. I knew he really just wanted to check up on you, but I let him anyways. I figured there was no point arguing with him because he was probably just as stubborn as Jake. He came back about half an hour ago very upset."

Alex pouted and dropped onto the couch next to her. "I just don't understand why he has to get all crazy all of a sudden. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

Emma smiled. "He just cares about you."

"Yeah, but it's so _annoying_!" Alex exclaimed.

Emma laughed. "That may be true. You should go to bed, it's getting late."

Alex said goodnight to her and walked upstairs to her pretty guestroom. She changed into purple boxers and a black tank top. She washed the makeup off her face and brushed her teeth. She slid into the cool sheets and tried to fall asleep. But anger and embarrassment kept her up. Justin humiliated her in front of Beau. He treated her like a little kid when she was _eighteen_! She decided she would go find him and tell him these things.

She tip-toed down the hall and opened Justin's door. His room was dark blue with sand coloured wood furniture. It was empty. She frowned and decided to look downstairs. She could hear Emma snoring as she passed her door. She giggled quietly and snuck down the stairs. The TV room was empty as well. Just like the widow room and kitchen and dining room. Alex pouted in frustration. But she was also a little worried. Where was he?

She peered out the window in the kitchen to see her older adoptive brother lying on the beach. She kicked open the back door and sprinted down the beach to yell at him.

"Justin!" She shrieked. "How dare you embarrass me in front of Beau? I'm not a little kid! I don't need to be protected! And you followed us like a stalker! It was none of your business! I didn't need your help! And after you totally insulted me this afternoon too!"

He just stared at her as she stomped around and ranted. She finally stopped and stood in front of him with her feet apart and her arms crossed her chest.

"Well?" She said sarcastically.

"Well what?" He snapped back.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" She asked, raising one eyebrow.

For a second it looked as if he would just laugh. But then his shoulders slumped and he said, "You're right. I'm sorry, Alex. For following you on your date and for saying I was a better wizard then you. It's not true."

She glared at him for a second, deciding whether or not to keep punishing him then decided she was too tired. She shrugged and plopped down on the beach next to him.

She lay against the sand and felt his arms and legs press against hers. They were lying side by side and slowly held hands.

"There are so many more stars here than in New York." Alex whispered.

"I know." Justin murmured back. "There are millions."

"Ooh, look!" Alex said, pointing to the sky. "That's the Big Dipper!"

"And over there is Orion's Belt." Justin said quietly. "It's the one with three stars in a row."

"I see it!" She said excitedly.

"The myth about Orion was that he was Artemis's lover, she was the Goddess of the Night, and one night he was swimming in the ocean. Apollo, the Sun God hated Orion and bet his sister Artemis that she couldn't hit the thing in the water with her bow and arrow. Artemis not realizing that the thing in the water was actually her lover, shot and killed Orion. When she found out what she had done, she honoured Orion by putting him in the sky." Justin explained softly to Alex.

Alex found her eyes getting heavy. Justin's voice sounded rough but soft at the same time and he was slowly putting her to sleep with his story telling. It was so relaxing, listening to Justin tell her myths that were hundreds of years old.

"You see the one over that that looks like a W?" Justin said to Alex and gestured to the dark sky above. "That's Cassiopeia. The legend was that she was very beautiful and liked to brag..."

Alex never heard the rest of the story because her dark eyes fell shut. She fell asleep to Justin's familiar and comforting voice and the lull of the ocean waves. The sand was soft underneath her body and Justin's shoulder made a very nice pillow. She had never slept better in her life.

**A/N thanks so much for reading! Pretty please review and tell me what you think! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N thanks for all the reviews guys! They really mean a lot to me! I don't own WOWP but i really like it! Lol **

Alex woke up the next morning in her bed in the guest room. She was confused. How did she get there? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the beach. She sat up in the white bed and thought for a second. Justin must've carried her upstairs. For some reason that made her smile and brought a warm feeling to her chest. She kicked off the blankets and skipped downstairs to see Justin and Emma laughing over orange juice and cereal.

"Hi, Alex!" Justin said, smiling at her.

His smile made the warmth in her chest flow through her veins and her whole body until she felt as if she was glowing. "Hi, Justin!" She said back.

He looked a bit confused about why she was acting so happy to see him, and honestly she didn't know why, but he didn't say anything just poured her a glass of juice and passed her the cereal.

"I was just telling Justin about my class." Emma said. "I teach fourth grade at the local public school. That's why I have the summer off."

"Cool!" Alex exclaimed. "You get the whole summer off? Maybe I should be a teacher. Oh, wait. That would involve being in school. Pfft, nevermind."

Justin rolled his eyes but grinned. Alex felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach and was confused. What the hell?

"I was thinking of going into town today." Emma said. "I need to pick up some groceries. Do you guys want to come?"

"Yeah, sure." Alex said. "Is there like an internet cafe or something I could go to? I hate not having any contact to my friends."

She didn't own a laptop and Justin didn't bring his. He didn't want to talk to anyone from New York. He also didn't bring his phone and he threw hers into the ocean. Emma didn't have a computer and she wouldn't let Alex call long distance to New York.

"Yeah, there is." Emma said. "Justin and I could get the groceries while you chat online with your friends. And then after we can go to the art gallery and talk to the owner."

Alex wanted to squeal with delight. Instead she played it cool and just nodded while saying calmly, "Yeah sure, whatever."

Justin grinned at her and glared at him. They finished breakfast and Emma cleared up the table while Justin and Alex raced upstairs to the bathroom.

Justin got there first (he _wasn't _faster, he just had longer legs!) and Alex tugged on his arms and tried to wiggle past him.

"Alex!" He shouted. "Stop it! I got here first!"

"Yeah, but you take forever in the shower! Let me go first!" She demanded.

"No!" He yelled. "I was here first!"

She managed to wiggle past him into the bathroom and shouted, "HA!" in his face. But before she could slam the door, he picked her up by her waist and dropped her into the hall. He then slammed and locked the bathroom door.

"JUSTIN!" She shrieked, pounding on the bathroom door. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! LET ME IN!"

He just laughed and said, "Leave me alone, Alex."

She pouted and stomped back to her room. She picked up her wand and ran back to the bathroom door.

"_I need to get in and my brother locked me out, unlock this door don't make me scream and shout." _Alex said, waving her wand at the door. She always was good at Make 'Em Ups.

When the door clicked open, she burst through. Only to see Justin standing naked in the shower. She screamed then he screamed and wrapped the shower curtain around himself and she put her hands over her eyes.

"GET OUT!" He shrieked at her. She gladly obeyed.

She ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She collapsed onto her bed in her light blue room and shivered. She so didn't mean to see that. Thankfully, she didn't get a good look _down there, _she mostly only saw his chest. Which was dripping with hot water and like, _really _built. He also had really toned arms. When did Justin get so muscular? It was kind of... no. Don't go there. She decided to skip the shower and dressed quickly in a miniskirt and a powder blue three-quarter length t-shirt with a white tank top over top with blue and yellow flowers on it. She completed her look with yellow high-tops and a side ponytail.

Emma called her and Justin down; they were leaving to go to into Faireville which was only a fifteen minute drive away. She left her room and walked down the stairs to see Justin standing fully clothed at the front door. She blushed and didn't look at him. He was wearing a green t-shirt with jeans which made his eyes look brighter. His hair was still wet from the shower. Emma didn't notice the tension and piled them all into her old car. It looked like it had used to be turquoise but rust and salty air and darkened it. They drove silently into town. Emma dropped her off at the internet cafe and promised to be back in half an hour.

Alex bought a strawberry Danish and vanilla mocha coffee and bought a half hour pass to the computer. She logged onto Facebook and checked her friend's statuses.

_Zeke Beakermean __ just invented a Robo-Dog. Go, Fido!_

_Max Russo __ wonders why we can't have clouds as pets. _

_Theresa Russo__ misses her babies : ( _

Alex felt a pang of guilt for hurting her mom but the next status made her freeze.

_Mason Greyback__ is lonely in London. _

Alex felt her hands shake. She bit her lip and nervously looked around the empty cafe. She shivered as she re-read the black and white words sent from a computer thousands of miles away. She missed him. She missed Mason with all of her heart. She ached for him and wished he wasn't so far away. But he was stubborn and she knew she could never change his mind. She sighed and moved on before painful memories could haunt her.

She scrolled down the homepage looking at posts from her friends from school. The computer dinged, signally someone wanted to chat with her online.

_**Harper Finkle: **__Alex! I've missed you so much! How's Florida?_

_**Alex Russo: **__good i guess. Justin threw my phone into the ocean so i couldn't text u. howz new york?_

_**Harper Finkle: **__We're all good. Except things at the Sub Shop have been crazy. Max and I have been working double shifts because you and Justin aren't here. Your mom's pretty upset, though. She wanted to go down the Florida the second she knew where you two were. But you guys have the IPP and your dad was too cheap to buy plane tickets. _

_**Alex Russo: **__lol ya that sounds like dad! florida is actually pretty cool. everyone is nice and no one gets mugged! people actually say hi when they see you on the streets! and not just the crazy people! _

_**Harper Finkle: **__That's great, Alex! How's Justin's mother? Your parents were telling me about her, she sounds pretty cool._

_**Alex Russo: **__she is! shes setting me up with this art dealer and shes been super nice to justin about all of this! we r staying with her for the summer. I don't know what we r doing next. _

_**Harper Finkle: **__Maybe I can talk your parents into visiting you at Labour Day. We can come down to Florida for the weekend and you can come back to New York with us!_

_**Alex Russo: **__i dunno. justin seems like he doesn't want N E more contact with the fam. maybe i can change his mind by the end of the summer? if he gets all the info he wants from emma maybe he would be ready to go back home? i have to go now harper, ttyl!_

_**Harper Finkle: **__Okay, bye Alex! Say hi to Justin for me!_

Alex logged off the computer just as it was about to shut down. She threw out the wrapper for her Danish and the cup from her coffee and waited on a bench outside for Emma and Justin. They pulled up and Alex hopped in the back seat. They drove through the town to the art gallery and Emma chatted easily with Justin and Alex. Even Justin seemed to get over his earlier embarrassment about being walked in on in the shower. They parked by the art gallery and they all got out. Alex stopped in front of the door. She just couldn't walk in.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Justin asked her when he noticed she wasn't following.

"I-I can't do it." Alex said in a rare moment of insecurity.

"Why not?" He said to her, confused.

"Because... because I'm not really an artist." She cried suddenly. "I'm just an amateur! I paint in an abandoned train tunnel with homeless people! I'm not ready for a real gallery!"

Emma decided that would be the time to wander off and let Justin handle this.

"Hey," He said softly, putting both his hands on her shoulders. "You _are _a real artist. I've seen your paintings; you're really good. And I'm not a liar."

Alex shrugged. She stared cautiously at the doorway to the art gallery. She took a deep breath and balled her fists. "Okay." She said. "Let's do this."

She pushed open the door and a bell jingled over it. She was clutching her portfolio she summoned from her home in New York the other day. A man walked out from a back room with a big grin on his face. He had messy brown hair that flopped over his eyes and kind blue eyes. He was tall and gangly and seemed a little clumsy.

"Hi!" He said, holding out his hand to Alex for her to shake. "My name's Mark Harrison. Are you the artist Emma was talking about? Alex Russo?"

Alex shrugged and flicked her hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, I guess."

Mark grinned. "Well, let's see some of your work!"

She handed him her portfolio and he flipped through it slowly. He had a look of deep concentration on his face as he studied each painting. Alex was dying to know his opinion.

"I like them." He finally said with a smile. "They are daring and bold. I can see you have real potential. I would like to hang your paintings in my gallery. If they become popular, I'll give you a part in a show for emerging artists I'm putting on in two weeks. My friend from Tampa is coming as well to check out the local artists. If you impress him, he could really set you up in Tampa and maybe all over the US."

Alex was feeling lightheaded. This was all going so fast. One day she was just another teenager in the Freedom Tunnel and now she's in an art gallery!

"Thank you." She said sincerely to Mark. "I'll work on some new pieces for you. Thank you so much!"

He laughed and said, "You're welcome. Why don't you get back to me with those new pieces and in the meantime, I'll hang your paintings up and see what people think."

Alex couldn't stop grinning. She walked back outside where Justin and Emma were waiting for her and didn't have to say anything. Justin already knew from the look on her face.

"He's hanging your paintings in the gallery?" He shrieked.

Alex squealed with delight and Justin grabbed her and spun her around like he did when he was covered in food and she was wearing that magazine dress of Harper's. She laughed and he grinned at her. For some reason, her breath caught in her throat. Must be the excitement.

"I'm so proud of you!" He said.

"Congratulations, Alex." Emma said. "I think this deserves ice cream!"

She led them down the street to quaint looking ice cream parlour. They walked up to the counter and placed their orders. There were more choices in ice cream then Alex had ever seen in her life. She finally decided on Very Berry Strawberry. She used to love chocolate ice cream, but ever since the Spanish Pocket Elf fiasco, she hasn't much of a liking for chocolate.

Justin ordered Mint Chocolate Chip and Emma ordered Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake. They settled down at a table by the window and just talked and laughed. Alex caught Justin's eye and smiled at him, making her stomach erupt in butterflies again. Whatever this feeling was, it was very odd, but not altogether bad.

**A/N whew that took me a long time to write. I. Hate. Exams. Sorry if i don't update in a long time, my parents like to take away my computer while it's exam time. But i really hope you review and tell me what you thought of it! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N thanks for all the brilliant reviews guys! It honestly means so much to me! I really hope everyone is enjoying changes so far! I don't own WOWP, just in case you thought i did. ;p**

Alex woke up too early the next morning. In fact, it was so early, it was barely morning. Her room was nearly pitch black with just a touch of grey to say that morning was not too far away. She sat up in her bed and tried to figure out what woke her. It took a second, but then she heard that pitiful whimpering from downstairs. She knew instantly, that that was what had woken her, even though it was very quiet. She pulled a sweater she had stolen from Justin over her head and a pair of thick socks to protect her feet from the cool wooden floors. She tip-toed down the stairs and into the window room. There was Emma, sitting cross legged on the floor with a dripping candle to her left and a half empty bottle of vodka to her right. In front of her were half a dozen photo albums and about a hundred discarded pictures. She was sobbing, but was covering her mouth with one of the cushions from the couch in the other room as to not wake Justin and Alex up.

Alex was afraid. She had never been in this situation before. Emma looked half mad as she rocked back and forth in the moonlight and the glow of the candle, her hair dark and falling in her face. Her eyes were wide and wild and her sobs sounded like a dying animal. Alex took a step towards her, thinking she should do something to comfort her, wishing Justin was with her. And then he was. It was as if he had read her mind or heard her thoughts, because he was suddenly hurrying past Alex to his birth mother. He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her thin frame. He stroked her hair and made low, soothing noises that seemed to calm Emma a little. Alex stood at the foot of the stairs for a second, then slowly walked over to the mother and son and sat across from them. She sat there in front of a broken and sobbing Emma and watched as Justin cradled her as if he was the parent, not the other way around. She must've fallen asleep, because when she next opened her eyes, the sun was fully risen and Emma was dozing against Justin's shoulder.

"Justin..." She whispered, trying not to wake Emma.

"Hmmm?" He murmured sleepily.

"What happened?" Alex asked quietly.

"From what I can understand, this was about Jake." He said. "My – my father."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I think she had a flashback or something from the day he died. She must still be very upset by it. She pulled out some photos of him and that made her even more upset. She started to drink and that's when we found her." Justin said softly.

Alex looked at the woman sleeping against her adoptive brother's shoulder. She seemed so innocent and young during sleep. Her dark auburn curls fell across her face and pale purple eyelids covered her grey-green eyes. She stirred then woke up.

"Oh!" She blurted out in surprise when she saw the two young adults staring at her. "Oh." She then said more darkly when she noticed the vodka bottle and messed up photo albums.

"Emma..." Justin said slowly. "What happened?"

"I-I dreamt of him again. Jake." She muttered. "The day he died. I had to see him again, so I found our photo albums and pictures. It made me feel worse so I had something to drink. I don't remember much after that."

Justin and Alex sat quietly in front of her. She started to cry again.

"I _loved _him!" She cried. "I still love him! I miss him every single second of my life! I never go without thinking of him! My – my heart literally hurts! It's like an ache that just _won't go away_!"

Alex felt tears rising in her own eyes. She could never imagine loving someone so much, it actually hurt. She thought of Mason and bit her lip.

"How did you and Jake meet?" Justin asked, leaning forward slightly.

Emma took a breath, "We met in high school. It was... March, I think. March of eleventh grade. He had just moved to New York from Los Angeles and he was so different from every other boy I had ever met. He was confident and charming. He was very intelligent and played in a band. We were in English class together. He sat next to me and tried to flirt with me through every class. I tried to ignore him and focus on my studies. But the more I ignored him, the more he pursued me. Finally he just leaned over and whispered, '_I think you're beautiful and amazing and perfect. Please give me a chance, just one. If you don't like me after that one chance, I'll leave you alone. I promise.' _I gave him a chance. And we were inseparable ever since."

Emma dug through the mess of pictures around her and pulled out one of her and Jake. He was wearing a suit and tie and she was wearing a fancy turquoise dress. They were standing in a garden by a church. In the back ground you could faintly see a woman in a white dress and a man beside her.

"This was taken at your parents wedding." Emma said about the picture. "It was the summer before our senior year. Everyone thought we were just friends, because it was illegal for a wizard and a mortal to be together. But when I found out I was pregnant that November, our families knew the truth. You were born in June, Justin. Which you know. The whole time I was pregnant, I was worrying about what I should do. My friends said I should get an abortion, which I refused point blank. Jake even said he would marry me, but I didn't want that because I knew if we got married, the authorities would find out and he would lose his powers. And he loved magic more than anything. So when Theresa and Jerry offered to adopt you, I accepted. I knew they could give you a better home then I ever could."

She then handed them a picture of herself at around age eighteen laying in a hospital bed holding a baby wrapped in a blue blanket. She looked young and scared and tired. Jake was sitting beside her but he was looking right at Justin. He was smiling at the tiny baby boy, and Justin was looking back.

Alex could hear Justin's sharp intake of breath and winced.

"After I had you, Justin, and your parents took you away, I went to college. It was the University of Florida and your father came with me. He took some classes at the community college but he was more focused on his band. He played lead guitar and wrote songs. He was amazing. We kept our relationship a secret because we were still afraid of the wizard police. No one knew we were a couple except a select few who could keep a secret. I graduated to become a teacher. He was still with his band, but Jake was always interested in Physics. He was thinking about going back to school, when... when he had the accident." Emma stifled a sob.

She pushed pictures towards them. Jake playing guitar and smirking at the camera, Emma caught by surprise in a classroom, the both of them laughing on a beach.

"I didn't know what to do with myself after that. I wasn't in any contact with my family or yours, not since your birth. I didn't do any grief counselling because no one was supposed to know we were together, though I guess it didn't matter since he had died. I took out my rage and anguish on a canvas. I painted, I did pottery, I took yoga, I surfed, I wrote poetry, I ran, I gardened I did anything to distract me from Jake. Nothing really helped. It's been fourteen years and I still long for him, his smile, his laugh." She sobbed and smiled sadly.

Alex picked up a couple more pictures. These people had a life. They were real people, _he _was a real person. Justin's father.

Justin sat still and silent this whole time. He hadn't moved since he had run to Emma in the night.

"He named you, you know." Emma said. "It was Jake who had picked out the name Justin. It means fair or just. It was also his middle name. Jacob Justin Thomas. He said he wanted you to have something of him, even though you would never know him."

They were all silent for a long time. Alex was breathing slowly and trying to stop herself from outright sobbing like Emma. She was so touched by that story. She could never imagine how Emma must feel, to keep her love for someone a secret for such a long time and then to have that person die.

After a while, she seemed to calm down. She smiled awkwardly and stood up.

"Thank you." She said to Justin and Alex. "For being there for me. You're so much like Jake." She said fondly to Justin. He blinked as she walked into the kitchen. Alex could hear the coffee machine click on and Emma turn the radio on.

Justin stood up and walked out the back door. Alex followed. Justin did seem to be like his birth-father. Jake had black hair and a strong Roman nose, like Justin. He was tall with broad shoulders and full lips. Emma told them that he was charming and confident. Justin could be both. Jake played guitar like Justin and was interested in science. Emma said he was intelligent and loved magic. But Justin was also like Emma. He was organized and emotional. He had her eyes. He wrote poetry and essays (remember the cruise?). Looking back, Alex realized that she should've known Justin was different a long time ago. Neither she nor Max was goal driven or ambitious like Justin. Their parents weren't either. She looked at the man she had known to be her brother and couldn't recognize him anymore. It was like he was a different person. It made her sad.

As usual, her thoughts drifted back to Mason. He said he was lonely on his Facebook status. What did that mean? Did he miss her? Did he regret what happened? Did he want to see her again? She sighed and Justin looked over at her.

"Alex," he said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She muttered.

He frowned at her. They were sitting side by side on the steps leading down to the beach. She squirmed uncomfortably in his gaze. Finally, she broke.

"I just miss Mason." She said. "That's all."

"Oh, Alex." Justin said sympathetically. "He had to visit his family in England for the summer. He'll be back soon."

Alex scowled at the sand because he _wasn't _coming home soon. She would probably never see him again. And it was all. Her. Fault. Justin seemed to read her mind again. He knew she wasn't telling him the whole story.

"Alex." He said firmly in his 'grown-up voice'. "Tell me."

Her lower lip trembled. She gasped for breath and whispered, "Okay. It was my fault he moved away. He's not visiting family. He's never coming back."

Justin frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Two weeks before we graduated, we got into a fight. He – he had been acting distant lately. He was hanging out with Gigi more often. I... accused him of cheating on me." She whispered shamefully.

"Was he?" Justin asked.

"No!" Alex cried. "Of course he wasn't! He would never do that to me!"

"I still don't understand." Justin said slowly.

"When I accused him of cheating on me, he lost his temper. He – he couldn't control his temper." She said so softly, he could barely hear.

She saw his eyes widen with shock and his jaw clench in anger when he finally understood.

"That day you came home and told us you fell down the stairs at the subway station, that was Mason?" He hissed angrily.

She lowered her eyes in shame. Mason had lost it when she said he was cheating on her with Gigi. He beat her up pretty badly. He was half in his wolf form and couldn't stop himself. She was too embarrassed to tell anyone the truth, so she just said she slipped on the stairs at the subway station and fell down the stairs. Right after that, he moved back to London. He said he was horrified at what he had done, and had moved away to protect her. That was a month ago.

"That bastard!" Justin shouted. "I'm going to freaking kill him!"

Except he said a word a lot stronger than just 'freaking'. Alex was a little frightened. She had never seen Justin so angry.

"Justin, it was my fault!" She cried. "I should never have accused him of cheating on me!"

He grabbed hold of her shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. She saw pain and horror and rage in his misty green eyes. "Alex, listen to me." He said fiercely. "It _wasn't _your fault! _Never _think that! It was his fault, not yours!"

He suddenly pulled her close to him. Her face was pressed against his shoulder and she wrapped her arms around him tight. He was holding her just as strongly. She could feel his sobs vibrate though his whole body. She could feel his tears on her scalp. She was shaking as well. For the longest time, she had blamed herself entirely for the accident, but maybe Justin was right. Maybe she wasn't the only one to blame.

Nobody spoke for the rest of the day. She didn't eat and avoided everyone. She wasn't mad; she just didn't have the energy to say anything. That night she was lying in her own bed alone and wishing someone would lie beside her and stroke her hair the way her mother would when she was young and sick. She slipped out of her room and down the hall to Justin's room. She opened the door quietly and stood beside his bed. He didn't say anything and neither did she, he just moved over and held open the blanket for her. She climbed in beside him and closed her eyes. She could feel the warmth from his body on her back. He started stroking her dark hair and humming under his breath. He kept it up until she was fast asleep. She was wrong, he wasn't a different person. He was the same as always and she was glad. She would never want him to be anyone other than just himself.

**A/N okay i know this is kind of dark (for me at least) but i have been in kind of a mood, so whatever. Please please please review! :) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N thanks for the reviews guys! Im so glad your liking it! :) i don't own wowp lol!**

Alex woke the next morning to Justin's face. She sleepily opened her eyes and came face to face with Justin. Their noses were literally inches apart. She shrieked which made him jump up and yell. She leaped out of the bed as well. They stood awkwardly on either side of the bed, facing each other. It was obvious he was embarrassed; he couldn't look at her and kept biting his lip. She scowled fiercely at him. But on the inside she was burning with embarrassment as well. She could hear the phone ring from downstairs and Emma pick it up. Alex adopted an expression of cool indifference.

"Good morning, Justin." She said.

"Good morning, Alex." He said, confused.

She was angry. Why was everything so weird between them lately? She had been getting more of those warm, fluttery feelings when she was around him and when she walked in on him during his shower, they barely spoke! And now just because they woke up together, they couldn't make eye contact? They slept in the same bed so much when they were younger! When he was scared during a thunder storm or she had a bad dream, they would crawl into the other's bed! Like three times a week at least! She stormed out of his room and into her own to get dressed.

After she had put on jean shorts and an empire waisted blue tank top with flip flops, she ran down the stairs, tying up her long hair in a ponytail as she went.

"Morning, Alex!" Emma said cheerfully. Obviously, her breakdown from yesterday was being forgotten.

"Hey, Emma." Alex said, snatching a glass of juice and hopping onto the counter.

"Beau was on the phone for you." Emma said slyly. "He wants to know if you want to have brunch on his sailboat."

"Wow, fancy." Alex said. "Sure."

"He will pick you up in half an hour." Emma said.

"I have to get ready!" Alex said, jumping off the counter and skipping over to the stairs.

"But you're already dressed!" Emma called after her.

"Makeup!" Alex shouted back.

She pranced into the bathroom and shut the door. She looked into the mirror and frowned. She applied some make up and pouted. She was okay looking. She knew she wasn't ugly or anything, but she had never really felt pretty. She was on the short side and was, in her opinion, too skinny. Her hair wasn't straight or curly, just wavy and she wished her chest was bigger. She thought for a second then smirked. She pulled out her red wand and blurted out a Make 'Em Up.

"_I need a way to attract men, make me as beautiful as a Siren!_" She said, waving her wand across her whole body.

There was a flash of white light and a tingling sensation over her whole body and when she looked in the mirror, she gasped. She was... beautiful. She was wearing a white toga robe thing that everyone wore back then. It draped across her body sexily. She even had (gasp!) curves! Her hair was midnight black and fell down to her waist in loose curls. Her eyes were wide and pitch black. Her lips were blood red against her snow white skin. She seemed to be taller as well, and more willowy. Her cheekbones were more defined but she was also slightly eerie looking. Like an angel of death. Stunning, but off-putting at the same time. Before she had time to think more about the spell and what (probably) went wrong, there was a knock at the door.

"Alex," Justin said through the door. "Are you almost done in there?"

Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside her. She stared at the door and at the man she could sense at the other side. She flung open the door and the annoyed expression on Justin's face melted away to be replaced with unfocused awe. He stumbled towards her and she grinned wickedly. She walked seductively towards him, swaying her hips sensually. He was still staring at her in shock. She opened her mouth and sang. And that's when she knew she had him. She sang a song that didn't have words and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him farther back into the bathroom and kicked the door shut. He went along with her obediently. She kept singing and the hypnotised look in his eyes grew stronger and stronger until his eyes were filled with nothing but the reflection of her. She turned on the faucet to the bathtub and stopped singing for a second. And in that second, the blank look in his eyes slipped a bit, leaving him looking a bit confused. Alex hissed in anger. She was so _close. _So she did the first thing she could think of to hypnotise him again. She kissed him.

And he kissed her back. She pushed against him, and he pushed back. He tangled his fists in her hair and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As she kissed him she was slowly pulling him down to the edge of the bathtub. She kissed him as fiercely as she could and he kissed her roughly back. There was so much passion and emotion in that kiss; it made the thought of killing him all the more exhilarating. The water was nearly at the edge of the tub and she smirked. Just a second longer and she could push him headfirst into the water and hold him there until he stopped fighting.

Distantly, she could hear someone calling her name from far away. But she didn't focus on anything but the man and how amazing it will be to drown him after kissing him like that. She shut her eyes to give him one last kiss when suddenly; he was wrenched away from her. A woman with scared eyes and wild hair was holding him by the shoulders. He was fighting her to get back to Alex but when the woman shoved cotton balls into his ears, he stopped. Alex hissed in rage. She lunged at his throat but he pulled out he wooden stick and waved it at her. She screamed with fury, but before she could wrap her fingers around his neck, she could feel herself changing back into a human. She sat on the bathroom in a state of fuzzy confusion.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You turned yourself into a siren!" Justin said to her angrily.

She made the mistake of glancing at him. His lips were red and swollen from kissing her so fiercely and his hair was mussed from when she ran her hands through it. She looked away. The last thing she remembered was seeing herself looking so beautiful and then hearing Justin's voice. Then everything got messed up. She could vaguely recall singing and seducing Justin to get him closer to the edge of the water. So she could drown him. She shivered. At that moment, nothing was more thrilling then the thought of killing Justin. But kissing him was a close second.

"Alex, I've warned you about being careful with magic!" Justin said. "You have to be careful! Sirens are very dangerous! They wait in a meadow by the shore to sailors to go by and then they sing to put the whole ship in a trance. They then go on board and kill all the men."

"Yes, I _know _sirens are dangerous." She shot him a withering look. "It's not like I did it on purpose."

He sighed. She scowled.

"Whatever." She said. "Beau's going to be here any minute."

"Alex-" He started to say, grabbing her wrist.

"Let go of me." She said with cold fury in her voice. He immediately let go of her and took a step back. She felt a twinge of guilt. She sounded like she was a siren again. Emma hadn't said anything this whole time. She still looked a little freaked out. Alex felt bad. Emma had probably never seen such strong and dangerous magic up close. And to see her son making out with his adoptive sister as she tried to shove his head under water couldn't be good for her nerves.

Alex stormed out of the bathroom and into her room to throw on bathing suit under her clothes. She frowned at her appearance in the mirror. Maybe there was a way to keep with beauty of a siren without actually turning into one? She reached for her wand then thought better of it. Justin would so kill her. She heard a knock on the door downstairs and scampered out of her room.

Beau was holding a bouquet of daisies and smiled when he saw her. He was looking adorable in cargo shorts and a light blue button down shirt rolled up to his elbows.

"Hey, Alex." He said, handing her the flowers. "These are for you."

"Thank you!" She said. She put the flowers in a vase in the kitchen and followed Beau out to his truck.

They drove into town to the big docks where Beau's boat was kept. He waved at a man on a boat next to his and then helped Alex on board. They sailed away from shore and he showed her around the boat. It had a cabin and a little kitchen. There was a small bed and a couch and table. On deck, he showed her how to steer and what all the ropes did. She wasn't really interested but it was sort of cool. They then sat on the deck and ate the picnic breakfast Beau packed for them.

"Do you want to go swimming?" He asked her.

"Where?" She said.

"In the ocean." He said patiently. "We can jump off the side of the boat and there's a ladder we can use to climb back onto the boat."

"What about... sharks?" Alex asked hesitantly, peering into the dark blue depths uncertainly.

"We're not out deep enough for sharks to be a problem." Beau said confidently.

He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his sandals. Alex raised her eyebrows. He had _quite _the body. Well, she could probably do this. She did take swimming lessons as a kid. She took off her shirt and shorts and could see checking her out. She smirked. She was wearing a deep blue bikini. He took her hand and they leaped off the boat together. The water was amazing. Alex was surprised about how deep it was. She knew it as deep, but didn't have any idea _how _deep. She could see little fish swimming by her face and her dark hair floating behind her. She kicked her feet up to the surface and laughed. This was so cool! They splashed in the billion feet deep water (it felt like that, shut up!) until Alex could barely hold her head above the water. They climbed back onto the boat and lay against the warm deck.

"Thanks for inviting me today." She said. "It's been a lot of fun."

"Well, it's been my pleasure." Beau said. "I really like you, Alex."

"I really like you too, Beau." She said flirtatiously. And when he leaned over to kiss her, she let him. He tasted like seawater and sunscreen. He was gentle with her and wasn't too forceful. It was a nice kiss. Just nice. But after the emotional kiss with Justin this morning, it felt a little dull. But still, Beau was really sweet and Alex wasn't used to guys being so soft with her. Most guys treated her as roughly as she treated them. It was sort of a nice change to be treated like a china doll.

They sailed around for a little while longer. Thankfully, Beau had packed more food then for just breakfast. They went back to the shore when the sun started to go down. Alex knew Emma would want her home for dinner soon. When he dropped her off at her door, the sun had gone down. He kissed her softly on the lips and promised to call her soon.

She sighed as she wandered through the front door. She could smell burgers cooking on the barbeque out back. She went up to her room to change out of her wet bathing suit. She was wearing her bathing suit under her tank top and shorts; it left a wet mark on her chest and shoulders. Her hair was loose and curly from being blown about by the wind all day and her skin was tan from lying out in the sun. She smelled like ocean water so she decided to have a quick shower before dinner. She walked to the bathroom just as Justin was walking out.

"Oh! Sorry..." She trailed off.

"No, it's okay." He said. He moved to the left just as she did. And when he moved to the right, she did too. She blushed and glared at him.

"Alex, about this morning..." he started to say.

"Yes, I know, I know!" She muttered. "I need to be more careful with magic! I almost killed you, blah, blah, blah!"

"Well, actually I was talking about the kiss." Justin said. "But the near death experience is a good point too!" He said quickly.

She was quiet for a minute. "I'm sorry. For everything. For trying to drown you and for the... kiss."

He looked a little hurt for a second, like what she said actually pained him but then the moment was gone and he looked normal again.

"Yeah, it's alright." He said cheerfully. "Emma's making burgers, it'll be ready in about twenty minutes I think."

He went down the stairs, leaving Alex standing in the doorway to the bathroom. She ignored the confused and messed up feelings she felt whenever she looked at Justin and took the longest, hottest shower of her life. She was trying to wash away those sick and twisted feelings she's had ever since she kissed him.

**A/N please review guys! I just came back from a French exam which im pretty sure i failed. *sigh* but i would feel so much better if i had some reviews! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N im so so sorry it's been so long since i've last updated! Things have been kinda crazy lately but i'll try to update more regularly now! **

Alex sighed and tiredly flipped through the channels. It was Thursday morning and she was sprawled across the couch in the front room watching TV as Justin and Emma had 'a talk' in the kitchen. They've been doing that a lot lately. They talked about Jake and basically just made up for lost time. Alex wasn't really included in those conversations, and she didn't really want to be. That was something special between a mother and son.

She landed on a movie playing on TV. It was the latest Harry Potter movie. She stretched like a cat and settled into the couch. Harry and Malfoy were fighting in the bathroom. Even though he was the bad guy, Draco Malfoy was super hot. And besides, she always was a sucker for a British accent.

She heard Justin come in from the kitchen. He sat down next to her and sent the TV a disgusted look.

"What are you watching, Alex?" He said stiffly.

"Harry Potter." She said bluntly.

"We've talked about this, Alex!" He exclaimed. "This movie is offensive to wizards everywhere! I even sent a petition to the Wizard Counsel about it! I emailed you a copy of it, didn't you read it?"

She avoided his question by saying, "How is _Harry Potter _offensive?"

"It just is!" He said stubbornly. "It sends the wrong message about Wizards! It makes us out to be evil snake-men or half blind orphans! When actually, most Wizards are just normal people! I mean, a school for wizards? Robes? Those stupid round glasses? It's just ridiculous."

Alex gave him a blank look. "What about Wiz-Tech you idiot? That's a school for wizards! And what about our uniforms?"

"That's completely different." He said quickly.

"Sure it is." She said dryly. "I think the movies are perfectly fine. And I haven't read the books, but – oh my God I'm having an argument about Harry Potter! This is so nerdy! Go away!"

She quickly changed the channel to the non-offensive Bugs Bunny. Justin smirked at her and she reached over and slapped him without taking her eyes off of the TV.

"Ow, Alex!" He complained.

"Then don't make me mad, dork!" She snapped. "And I won't slap you!"

He smiled affectionately and wrapped his arm around her. She stiffened immediately. This was too soon after the whole kissing incident. Not to mention the freaky feelings she's been having recently. She didn't know what to do. Should she push him off and yell at him or move in closer? Justin was oblivious to her internal struggle. He chuckled at something on the television while Alex panicked. Luckily, she was saved by Emma coming into the room. Justin moved away from her before his mother could see.

"Hey you two, get dressed so we can go into town! We have to buy a dress for Alex to wear to her art showing this Saturday. And I have to buy some ingredients for my apple pie. I'm making it for the Fourth of July party we're having tonight!" Emma said cheerfully.

"Ugh, I hate dress shopping." Alex grumbled.

Emma looked horrified, "You _hate _dress shopping?" She repeated in shock. "But – but you have to wear a dress to the art showing!"

"Fine, fine." Alex muttered. She went upstairs to change out of her pajamas and ran back downstairs to the car. When they got to the dress shop, Alex nearly had a panic attack. The store front was beautiful. It was pale pink and white with flowers and candles glowing in the window. Alex could see a couple of women looking through racks of clothing.

"Uh, you know what?" Justin said backing away. "I just remembered I have to do this –this thing that is really important. I'll meet you guys later. After I do my... thing. Bye!" And then he bolted.

Alex sighed in jealousy. Emma dragged her into the shop and waved to the owner. "Hey, Cheryl!" She called out.

"Oh hi, Emma!" The older woman exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you? This is Alex, she is an artist and has a gallery showing on Saturday and needs a new dress."

Alex blushed and grimaced and Cheryl gasped in surprise and delight.

"Ooh!" She said. "I have the perfect dress for you then!"

She grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her to the back of the store. Cheryl pulled off the rack a little black dress that was sleeveless with a wide, swoopy neckline.

"You _have _to try it on!" Emma gushed.

Alex was shoved into a change room and slipped on the dress. She couldn't believe it, she actually looked... good. The dress was form-fitting but not too tight and fell a couple of inches above her knee. The straps of the dress were almost on her shoulders and the neckline was wide and loose. She smoothed down a tiny crease and jumped when she heard Emma banging on the door.

"Alex!" She called. "Come and show us the dress!"

Alex pushed open the door and stood in front of Emma, Cheryl and the two other customers in 'Cheryl's Boutique' barefoot as they all sighed.

"You looked wonderful, dear." Cheryl said.

"Alex, you look so beautiful!" Emma said. "Simply stunning!"

"I think with a dress like this, she should wear her hair up." One of the customers came up to her and said. "See?" She said, holding Alex's hair up.

"Yes, to better show off the neckline." The other customer said, nodding seriously.

Alex bit back a laugh. It was sort of hilarious that strangers cared so much about what she looked like. But on the other hand, it was sort of sweet. They spent another half an hour there getting lectured about which shade of toenail polish will make her art sell. Alex sort of tuned them out until Emma could finally break them out of there.

"I really do love that dress, Alex." Emma said as they walked down the street to the car. "And I know Justin will too."

"What do you mean by that?" Alex blurted out quickly then cringed. Emma looked confused but then realization dawned on her face.

"Alex, do you-" But before she could say anymore, Justin bounded up to them with a big, happy grin on his face.

"Hey guys, how was the dress shopping?" He asked. Alex glared at him; he sent her a triumphant look back.

"Alex bought a really pretty dress; just wait until you see it!" Emma said casually, but sent a sly look to Alex who scowled back.

"That's great, Alex." Justin said warmly. She shivered when he smiled at her, and then glared when she felt those stupid butterflies again.

"Yeah whatever, dork." She said coldly. He looked hurt and confused but she just walked away.

Back at the house, she ran upstairs and hid in her room. She didn't understand what was happening. Ever since she kissed him, she's been getting butterflies whenever Justin smiled at her. It was ridiculous. She bit her lip nervously. She didn't know what to do. Mid-afternoon, Emma came knocking on her door.

"Hey, Alex." She called through the door. "The Fourth of July party is starting now. Do you want to come out?"

"No thank you!" Alex quickly said. She didn't think she could face Justin.

"Please, Alex?" Emma said softly. "It's the Fourth of July. We have food and music and games. And later on there will be fireworks! Beau is waiting for you, won't you please come outside?"

After a long pause, Alex muttered, "Fine."

She followed Emma outside to the beach where about thirty people were standing on the sand in the afternoon sunlight with a drink in their hand. They were all the people that lived on Emma's street with their houses on the beach. The younger kids were playing games like Water Balloon Toss and Three Legged Race or Tag. The adults and teenagers were chatting and setting up for dinner. Alex saw Justin talking to a serious looking man and his uptight wife. It would be him to make friends with the most boring looking people on the beach. Beau ran up to Alex and Emma and kissed Alex on the cheek.

"Happy Independence Day, Alex!" He said cheerfully, passing her a Pepsi. "There's someone I want you to meet."

He took her over to where a family was standing by the edge of the water.

"Hey, guys." He said. "This is Alex."

Alex realized this must be his family.

"Hi Alex!" A young girl said. She looked about nine years old and had Beau's golden blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. "I'm Holly! Beau said you were from New York! I would love to go there! I want to be an actress on Broadway!"

"It's nice to meet you, Alex." A woman said warmly, clasping Alex's hand. "I'm Melissa, Beau's mother."

Melissa had shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes. She had a soft, gentle face and smile lines around her eyes.

"Beau told us so much about you, I feel like I know you already!" A man said with a loud, booming laugh. "I'm Richard."

Richard, Beau's dad, was tall with big shoulders and hands. He had brown hair and the same sparkly blue eyes as Beau and Holly. He looked like he would be a good Police Chief. He was big and happy looking but also had the look in his eyes that he could be very firm.

"And I'm Grahm, Beau's grandfather." An older man said. He had a full head of white hair and a thick white moustache. He stood as tall as Beau and Richard, over six feet. He had a kindly, trusting look about him.

"It's nice to meet you all." Alex said. She spent another couple of minutes talking with Beau's family when Justin ran up to her.

"I challenge you to the Water Balloon Toss!" He said. Then he noticed the Fairchild family.

"I'm Justin, Alex's... brother." He said awkwardly. For some reason, Alex didn't like the way he said 'brother'. He didn't feel like her brother anymore. It just felt strange.

They all stood in an awkward silence for a second before Alex said brightly, "So, Water Balloon Toss? You're on!"

He dragged her over to where a bunch of kids stood in two lines facing each other. They had to work as a team and toss the balloon back and forth without dropping it. And every time they threw the balloon, they had to take a step back.

"You're going down, Mister!" Some boy shrieked at Justin.

"Oh yeah?" Justin said back.

"Yeah!" The boy yelled. "I bet you an ice cream sandwich that me an' Holly will cream you and that lady!"

"You're on!" Justin said and shook the boy's hand. Holly, Beau's sister, grinned at Alex and shrugged, as if to say, '_Men, what can you do with them?' _Which made Alex laugh out loud. She smiled softly at Justin as he jokingly trashed talked the children. It was kind of sweet. It was obvious that he was going easy on them, but he pretended to take it so seriously. When it was down to Alex and Justin and Holly and the boy, whose name was Noah, they were about twenty feet apart.

"You're going down!" Noah shouted at Justin and Alex.

"Yeah!" Cried Holly.

Alex couldn't resist. When Justin gently tossed her the water balloon at her, she whipped it back at him as hard as she could. It splashed against his chest and she burst out laughing. Noah and Holly were absolutely roaring with laughter and Justin ran over to Alex with a smirk on his face.

"You want a hug, Alex?" He asked mischievously.

"No thanks!" She laughed.

"Too bad!" He leaned over and hugged her. He swung her around and put her back down. Her red tank top was now wet as well.

"Justin!" She shrieked but he just laughed.

"I believe I owe you two ice cream sandwiches." He said to Holly and Noah. They cheered and followed him over to a cooler full of ice cream. He handed them each one and they took off to play something else. He brought back one for Alex as well.

"Thanks." She said, biting into her treat.

They finished up with their ice cream just in time for Emma to call them over for the buffet dinner. There was all the classic American food spread over a couple of fold up tables. Everyone brought something different. There were hamburgers and hotdogs, potato salad, fried chicken, ribs, corn on the cob and much more. There was also Emma's apple pie. They sat around on picnic benches on the sand eating their feast. When the sun started to set, someone turned their stereo on and suddenly everyone was dancing.

Beau took Alex's hand and started to twirl her around the beach. Her dark ponytail whipped around her face and her bare feet dug into the warm sand and she laughed wildly. She danced with Beau until the sun had almost gone down and the sky was all deep blue except for the dark purple smear that was the horizon. The stars were just beginning to come out and Justin asked her to dance.

"Sure." She breathed.

He slowly put his hand to her waist. She could feel his hands shaking. She smirked and pulled him tighter against her. She wasn't even sure what song was playing, all she could focus on was Justin and how he had his arms around her and how she seemed to fit against his body like she was made for it and how his suntan made his eyes look greener and how she could feel his breath on her cheek. Then the fireworks started. Everyone stopped dancing to stare at the pitch black sky and the random bursts of colour that appeared. She realized that Justin still had his arm around her. She felt a bit of guilt that her boyfriend was around here somewhere and she was holding onto another guy. But not enough to make her want to move away. She looked into Justin's eyes and saw fireworks reflected in them.

**A/N thanks for reading guys! For the record, i don't think harry potter is offensive, i think its amazing and im not American so im not really sure what they would do on the fourth of july so i modeled that scene after what i do on Canada day and the last splash scene from aquamarine. I hope you enjoyed it! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N im sorry its been so long. Ive been writing this fanfic for my friend. It took me forever. But now im back! I don't own this and i hope you like it!**

Alex woke up and made no move to get out of bed. Today was the big day. The art showing. She groaned and wiggled down farther under her blanket. She couldn't do it. She couldn't go to the gallery tonight. She wasn't good enough. She would just lie in this bed all day. She could do that. But then she heard someone's voice calling to her from downstairs. She ignored them but they called again. With an over-dramatic sigh, she crawled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. She gasped in surprise. On the kitchen table was a bouquet of red roses in a crystal vase and a grinning Justin and Emma standing next to it.

"Good morning, Alex." Emma said with a smile. "We just wanted to get you a little something to say congratulations on the art showing."

"Thanks, guys." She said. She touched one of the delicate petals and felt the butterflies in her stomach jump up again.

"And this is from me, Alex." Justin said awkwardly handing her a dark blue box. "I just wanted you to know that I'm really proud of you. And I know you can do whatever you want and you will be amazing at it."

She silently took the box from him. She opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace. The chain was delicate and silver and the pendant was the outline of a star.

"Thank you, Justin." Alex whispered.

"Justin, why don't you help Alex put it on." Emma suggested.

Justin took the necklace and Alex moved her hair away from her neck. Justin did up the clasp of the necklace and Alex shivered when his cool fingers touched her skin.

She moved away quickly and said, "Thank you guys so much but I have to get ready for tonight. You know artist stuff."

They both nodded and smiled at her and she ran back upstairs. She looked into the mirror hanging in her bedroom at her messy bed head and rumpled pajamas. But still, Justin's star necklace was shining brightly against her messy self. It gave her a bit more courage.

She wasted the rest of the day in her room. She didn't leave her room until four and barely ate anything. She paced her room wildly and clutched Justin's necklace. At five, she changed into her dress and did her hair and makeup. She slipped into her heels and adjusted the star necklace. She looked one last time into the mirror and nervously went downstairs.

Justin and Emma were waiting in the kitchen, just like that morning, but they both turned to stare at her when they heard her heels clicking down the stairs. Emma smiled and Justin's jaw dropped. Alex brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and glanced shyly at them. She was wearing the black dress with the wide, open neckline and she had done her hair up with two strands hanging by her face. She was wearing more make up then usual and was even wearing perfume.

"You look so pretty, Alex!" Emma said.

"Y-yeah." Justin stuttered, his voice cracking. Alex smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean," He said in a deeper voice, "You look very pretty tonight Alex."

"Why thank you." She said, fake modestly. She twirled around and said with a grin, "Beau's going to love me in this."

Justin's affectionate expression was soon replaced with a scowl. She stopped spinning when she felt the tension in the air. Obviously Emma did too because she clapped her hands and said, "Let's have a quick dinner before we go to the art gallery!"

They ate in silence. Alex barely managed to choke down two bites of her ham sandwich before Emma ushered them into her car. She didn't say a word the whole car ride there. She was nearly shaking with nerves but whenever Justin or Emma looked over at her, she sent them a cocky grin back. She walked confidently into the gallery and didn't let Emma or Justin see her lose her breath from fear.

"Hey, Alex!" Mark Harrison, the owner of the gallery and the man she had spoken with a few weeks before, said to her as he went over to see her. "Are you excited? There is a really big turnout!"

"Yeah, this is cool." She said calmly. But inside, she was in awe of the whole experience.

"Your paintings are over there, on that side wall." He said, pointing to a wall with a couple of people standing in front of it.

A man walked up to them with pretty blue eyes and short dark hair and said, "Hey, I'm Billy Landon. I'm a reporter for the _Faireville Tribune_. Can I interview you? We're doing a piece on the emerging artists."

Before Alex had a chance to answer, Mark said to the man with a fond smile, "Don't bother her now, hon, give her a chance to relax." He then turned to Alex and said, "Billy is my boyfriend and he is a little nosy."

"I'm your better half you mean." Billy said teasingly. "And I'm _not _nosy! I'm a _journalist_!"

"Whatever." Mark said kindly. "Now go bother someone else."

Billy grinned before wandering off towards another artist.

"Sorry about him!" Mark said cheerfully. "Now why don't you go check out your paintings? Here's a name tag and if anyone asks to buy one of your paintings just send them over to me."

Alex clipped on the name tag and nervously walked over to her set of the gallery. Justin and Emma were eagerly following behind her. The people had moved over to the next set and Alex was in shock that _her _paintings were hung in a gallery! There were little plaques besides each painting with her name, the title of the painting and how much it was worth.

"This is really cool, Alex." Justin said appreciatively.

"Thanks!" She said.

She looked at the price of it - $400.00 – and reached into her purse slyly. She brought out her mini-wand and whispered, "_I'm asking this in a way that is nice, please on my painting raise the price!_"

The price immediately changed from four hundred dollars to four _thousand _dollars. Justin saw what she was doing and glared. "What are you doing?" He hissed angrily.

"Nothing." She said innocently. "Just raising the price a little."

"That's illegal!" He whispered furiously. "Change it back!"

But before she could, a woman walked up to them and said, "Excuse me, are you the artist of that painting?" She gestured to the painting that Alex had just changed the price of. "I'm interested in buying it."

"Oh, really?" Alex asked, sending a triumphant look at Justin. "Well the owner of the gallery, Mr. Harrison, is right over there. He is the one you should speak to."

The woman went over to speak to Mark and he look surprised when she said the price but he informed her that they would send it over to her when the gallery showing was over.

"Alex!" Justin seethed. "How could you do that?"

"Oh, relax." She said, laughing. "Don't you think my paintings are worth that much?" She batted her long lashes at him and grinned because she knew that he knew was trapped.

"Yes." He finally said grudgingly. "Your paintings are magnificent and priceless."

"Thanks!" She said cheerfully.

He opened his mouth to say something else but she saw Beau walking through the door, so she ran off towards him.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek and said, "This is so amazing, Alex! Show me your work!"

So she led him to her own set of paintings and smiled as he oohed and ahhed appropriately. He was with his sister Holly and a girl who looked to be about his age, nineteen.

"Hi, Alex!" Holly said cheerfully. "This is so cool; you're famous! I 'specially like that painting!" She said in one very fast breath. She was pointing to a painting Alex had done right after she had come home from the family vacation. It was a purple stone in the middle of the canvas with orange, red, blue, pink, green and every other colour shooting out of it.

"Alex, this is my friend Marcy." Beau said about the girl. "She was interested in seeing your artwork so I brought her along. She lives across the street from me, we've known each other since we've been born."

"Hey." Alex said to her.

"Hi Alex, this is really awesome. Beauregard talks about you so much I feel like I know you already!" She said with a quiet laugh. She gently nudged Beau with her elbow and he grinned at her.

"Don't call me that!"He said with a mock-scowl.

"Your name is Beauregard?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, my mom likes old fashioned names." He explained. "Holly's full name is Hollis."

"But I hate it because it sounds like an old lady name!" Holly exclaimed.

"And Marcy likes teasing me about it." Beau said fondly to her. He smirked at her and she smiled softly back.

In that moment, Alex felt a sudden rush of sadness. Marcy was in love with Beau. It was quite obvious. Alex wasn't upset because she felt that Marcy would steal Beau from her, she was upset because she felt like _she _had stolen Beau from _Marcy_. She was interested in Beau, but wasn't completely smitten like Marcy was. She felt like she had selfishly taken something from someone who was pining away. She felt sick to her stomach. She quickly excused herself and slipped out the back door. She stood in the alley clenching her fists and fighting the tears. Because she kept on thinking about Justin while she was dating Beau and while Marcy was in love with him. The whole thing was a mess. She knew she didn't fit with Beau the way Marcy did. Marcy's light, wavy brown hair and apple green eyes perfectly complemented his blonde hair and blue eyes. Alex's hair and eyes were both black and next to him, it was like a thunder storm dating the sun. But Justin... She couldn't help but go back to Justin. Justin was like a summer night. And thunder storms and summer nights _did _go together. She heard the back door opening and jumped.

"Hey, Alex," Justin said softly. "Are you okay? Have you been crying?"

"No of course not!" She said and smiled. "I just needed some air."

So she blazed a trail back into the gallery, through the crowds of people to a waiter and thoroughly enjoyed a glass of champagne before Emma confiscated it because she was 'under-age'. Alex was as snarky and sarcastic as always and was never seen without a smirk on her face but on the inside, she was tormented. She was attracted to Justin – even though it was wrong on so many levels – but she also liked Beau. So should she stay with Beau to get over her feelings for Justin? And because he was fun and a relationship with him would be simple. But it would also hurt Marcy. Who, Alex found out, was a very nice person.

She was so distracted, she walked right by Mark when he was standing with the owner of the art gallery in Tampa.

"Alex!" Mark called out right as she was about to pass him. "This is Mr. James Wolfe. He is the man I was telling you about."

"Oh! Hi, Mr. Wolfe." Alex said politely.

"Ms. Russo, I see that your paintings are quite popular tonight and have sold the most out of all the other artists here." He said.

"Really? Wow." Alex was shocked. She didn't think she had that kind of talent.

"I can tell that you have a raw talent, and with a bit more schooling, you could perfect it. I will take some of your paintings with me to Tampa and I expect you to send me more soon. We'll work out the details later. If things go well, you could be looking at a scholarship to an art school. And from there, who knows what could happen?" He said with a smile.

She was standing there with her jaw to the floor looking quite stunned. The man laughed and gave her his card. He told her to send at least three more paintings by the end of the summer

She spent the rest of the night sneaking glasses of champagne and avoiding Beau and Justin. She hung out mostly with Marcy, who was surprisingly a rebel at heart. She was quiet at first but was a lot more mischievous then she looked.

"I like you." Alex said to her new friend. "I thought you were so good and quiet, but you're almost as badass as I am!"

Marcy laughed and said, "Not really!"

"Don't even deny it!" Alex exclaimed. "You are a rebel in disguise!"

Marcy grinned at her. Beau walked up to them and said, "Hey ladies, it's getting late and I have to take Holly home. Marce, do you still want a ride?"

"Yes!" She said too quickly. "Thanks, Beau!"

Alex felt another pang of guilt when she saw Marcy beaming at Beau. She waved bye to them and smiled a little when Beau kissed her on the cheek but she was too caught up with Marcy's look of disappointment and grief to kiss him back. They left and she decided to have another glass of champagne. And then she had another. And another. And another. Before someone realize she was under age and dragged her back to Emma and Justin. Emma then decided it was then time to go home.

Alex was feeling a little giddy and a little drunk and Justin kept a firm grasp on her arm, because she really wanted to run off and dance around.

"This is _soooo _funny!" She shrieked in the car. "Listen Justin, she's says it going to be raining tomorrow!"

She cackled drunkenly at the weather report on the radio and Justin rolled his eyes.

"You got drunk off of champagne." He said. "Classy."

"I know, right?" She started jumping up and down in the backseat and was singing loudly to the song playing on the radio. Emma finally pulled into their driveway and Alex leaped from the car.

"Let's go swimming!" She cried.

"In the morning, sweetie." Emma said gently. "It's dark now."

"Oh!" Alex said in surprise, and looked around. "It is!"

They walked into the house and Emma said, "Why don't you go the bed now, Alex?"

"No, I'm not tired!" She said stubbornly.

"But it's late!" Justin said.

"I don't want to!" She said and shook her head.

"Fine." Emma relented tiredly. "But I'm going to bed."

She walked up the stairs and Justin went to follow her but Alex dragged him down beside her on the couch.

"Let's watch TV." She said.

"Alex, I want to go to bed." Justin said and tried to get up.

"No!" She said and yanked him back down. "Ooh, look! _Mulan _is on!"

"Alex," He sighed. "I'm not watching a children's movie."

"Shut up!" She said. She started humming to the music and jumping around in her seat.

"Sing along." She commanded.

"Alex, no. I-"

"_SING_!"

She started jumping up and down on the couch and pulled him up as well.

"_Let's get down to business  
To defeat the Huns  
Did they send me daughters  
When I asked for sons?" _She screamed.

She was shrieking along to the song and jumping. She poked Justin hard in the ribs and he shakily started singing as well.

"_Tranquil as a forest  
But on fire within  
Once you find your center  
you are sure to win!" _Justin said without any emotion. "Alex, this is weird. I'm going to bed."

"No!" She shouted. "We are watching a movie!"

So she was still dancing around on the couch and screeching along to the song and eventually, Justin got into it as well. By the end, they were both belting it out.

"_We must be swift as  
the Coursing river  
With all the force  
of a great typhoon  
With all the strength  
of a raging fire  
Mysterious as the  
dark side of the moon!" _They shouted out the last few words and then collapsed laughing onto the couch. Justin turned the volume down and Alex snuggled in close to him.

"I have something important to tell you." She said, slurring her words drunkenly.

"What?" He asked.

"Thunder storms don't go with the sun." She said whispering loudly into his ear. "They go with summer nights. Everyone knows that."

She started to mumble nonsense and laid her head against Justin's shoulder. Soon, her breathing slowed and she went quiet.

"Alex, what do you mean? That doesn't make any sense." He said to her.

But all he got in reply was a snore.

**A/N im so so so sorry that this is so late, but its extra long so i hope that makes up for the lateness! : ) pretty please review? **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N thanks for all the reviews guys! Im glad you like it! I don't own WOWP though. **

Alex woke up the next day with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted like sandpaper. Opening her eyes felt like an extreme sport and sitting up was even harder to do. She found out she was laying on top of Justin on the couch still in her black party dress and jewellery.

"Ugh," She groaned. "What happened last night?"

She rubbed her forehead and magically shut the blinds, therefore closing out the blinding sunlight that aggravated her headache. Her movement and voice woke Justin.

"Morning." He murmured.

"What did you do to me?" She asked accusatorily.

He sent her an _are-you-kidding-me? _kind of looked and said, "You were the one who got so drunk off of champagne you made me sing along to a Disney movie! And then you woke up three hours later, called me Ashton Kutcher, told me my face smelt like a chinchilla and then started referring to yourself in the third person! Thankfully, you fell back asleep. Unfortunately, it was on me and I couldn't go up to bed."

She laughed, "Oh I love being drunk! It's so much fun!"

"Alex, no!" Justin said, shocked. "It's dangerous and unhealthy!"

She shrugged, "Whatever. Go get me a glass of orange juice."

"Alex-"

"_NOW_!"

He pushed her off of him and the jolting movement made her cry out. She pulled a blanket over her head and wiggled into the couch. It felt like her forehead had a heartbeat. The sudden movement made her stomach roll and lurch. She clutched her nauseous tummy and groaned. She could hear Justin's footsteps coming closer and she whipped off the blanket.

"Hey, Alex I got Advil as well as the juice." He said. And suddenly she couldn't take it anymore. It was as if a great force pushed its way up her throat and made her throw up all over Justin. He stood there, stunned, as vomit dripped off of his chest and onto the floor. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and took the pills and juice from Justin.

"Thanks, Justin!" She said and went upstairs to her room, a little more cheerful. She popped the pills and followed it with the OJ. She changed out of crinkled and twisted dress and into some pajamas. She tied her hair up into a sloppy bun and washed her makeup off. But she kept Justin's necklace on. Every time she saw it in the mirror, it made her feel warm inside. She crawled into bed and fell back asleep.

She woke up a few hours later when the sun was already starting to dip back into the horizon and night was starting to creep up. She yawned and stretched. Her hangover felt much better. She wandered out of her room and down into the TV room where Justin and Emma were watching the news.

"Her reports... are so accurate..." Justin whispered in awe at the weather lady. Alex personally couldn't see the appeal. She was tall and skinny with bleach blonde hair and a fake tan. Sure she was pretty, if you liked that type. But blondes didn't look good with Justin. Rosie or Juliet didn't look right with him. Justin was more suited to dating brunettes. Brunettes with brown eyes and pale skin. And wizard powers. Just saying. She kept walking right past them and out the back door. She could hear Justin calling her name and running after her. She stopped walking when her toes touched the water.

"Alex!" Justin shouted after her from the back porch. "What are you doing?"

"Standing in the water!"

"Yes, obviously but what I meant was _why_?" He said, exasperated.

"Because I feel gross from being hung-over and I wanted to cool off." She said and flicked some water with her toe gently towards him.

He walked down the beach towards her and stood next to her in the surf. The water was gently lapping against her calves and the breeze was cool from the coming evening. She took a breath and inhaled the scent of the salty ocean water. She shut her eyes and blindly reached for Justin's hand. But then she realized how weird that would be and stopped.

"When you look at me, what do you see?" She opened her eyes and asked him.

"What do you mean?" He asked in return.

"I mean, when you look at me what do you _see_? Not me physically, but what I am." She said softly.

"I see... sparks." He said. "You know when a fire is starting and there is nothing but flashes of gold sparks? Like that."

She was quiet for a second as she tried to hide the brilliant smile Justin's words gave her. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to hold her swelling heart together.

"So when you look at me, what do you see?" He asked in the same low teasing voice he used back in the jungle of the Caribbean.

She pretended to think for a second, even though she already knew what she was going to say. She finally said, "If I'm a spark, you're the fire."

He raised one of his eyebrows (she always wondered how he could do that) and smirked at her. "How do you figure that?" He asked.

"Because sparks and fires are always together." She said simply. "And you're brighter then I am, and warmer. I'm a spark and I start you, but you're the fire that keeps me going. I think it works."

He doesn't say anything, just smiles at her and she smiles back until she realizes it's getting a little too mushy and panics. As if he read her mind, he backs away from her and splashes her with the cold ocean water. She shrieks and jumps away.

"What the hell was that for?" She screeches.

"Have you forgotten that you threw up on me?" He snaps back jokingly.

She shrieks again as he drenches her again. But he just shrugs impishly so she jokingly scowls and splashes him back. The water fight in the sunset eases the serious tension that was building and makes both of them laugh. Until Emma leans out the back door.

"What are you two doing?" She shouts. "You're not even in swim suits! And it's getting dark! Get in here now!"

Alex and Justin sheepishly walk back into the house, all the while Emma was giving them dirty looks. Alex changed out of her wet pajamas and went back downstairs to find Justin sitting on the couch in his Captain Jim Bob Sherwood pajamas.

"You are such a geek." She said as she plopped down beside him.

He leaned over and ruffled her hair. She sent him a severely annoyed look. "Back off, bub."

They hung around the TV room for a little while, watching mindless television until Emma decided to go to bed. The television was showing a ridiculous sitcom where the characters were making a fort out of blankets and pillows. Justin smiled nostalgically and nudged the girl sitting next to him.

"Remember when we made a fort in the living room?" He asked her. "I think I was about nine at the time, so you must've been seven."

"Oh yeah!" She cried, remembering. "And mom and dad let us sleep there the whole night! We pretended we were camping in the jungle! And Max got bored so it was just the two of us."

"You told me ghost stories and I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night." He said warmly. "And mom made us s'mores in the microwave and you ate all of mine."

She laughed then sighed fondly at the old memories. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" She asked him.

"You want to make a fort?"

"Of course!"

So they spent the next hour gathering pillows and blankets and moving the furniture around so there was a cave of fluffiness in the living room. The turned off all the lights and lit candles even though Justin warned it would be a fire hazard. They lay on the thick blankets staring up the green and purple striped duvet, close enough that their shoulders were touching.

"I kind of wish we had never grown up." Justin whispered softly.

"Yeah, me too." Alex murmured back.

They fell asleep in their fort with their hands intertwining.

**A/N i hope you guys liked this one! I was going for a sort of jalex-y feel, but i think i made alex too ooc. I just wanted her growing feelings for justin to be recognized. Please please review! :D **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N hey guys i don't own this. Sorry im late again. **

"I'm bored."

"Good for you."

"Entertain me."

"I'm busy right now."

"It's not as important as I am."

"It's more important."

Alex gasped and angrily jumped up from her spot on the couch. She faced him with her hands on her hips and a pout on her lips. Justin sighed tiredly and put down the picture he was holding.

"What Alex?" He asked.

"Justin, I am dealing with a crisis!" She cried petulantly. "It's so humid my hair is frizzing out, we're all out of ice cream and I have nothing to do!"

"Alex, I am organizing Emma's photos." Justin explained patiently for the umpteenth time. "This is important."

"I don't understand what the big deal is anyway." Alex grumbled and dropped onto the couch beside him.

"It was a complete and total mess!" He exclaims. "None of the photo albums were in any order and I found at least six boxes filled with random photographs and nothing at all had a label!"

"Wow, what a tragedy." She said sarcastically then stuck out her tongue.

He rolled his eyes and sighed again. In his hand he held an old picture of Jake Thomas. Jake had an expression in his eyes of deep thoughtfulness and a half smile on his face like he knew something no one else did. He was sitting in a lawn chair holding a sticker covered acoustic guitar. It was dark and the only light came from the camp fire to the right of him. You could even see fireflies flying faintly in the background.

Alex heard Justin sniffle softly and she immediately turned his face towards her.

"Are you crying?" She asked not unkindly.

"No!" He shouted, and tried to wipe his eyes without her seeing. "It's – it's my allergies."

She frowned. Justin hardly ever cried. At least, not that much anymore. He was kind of a pansy when he was younger. But he grew out of it. She hated seeing Justin upset. It made her feel like nothing was in control anymore. So she snatched the picture out of his hand and raced upstairs. He was faster than she was, but she had the element of surprise on her side.

She ran into his room and slammed the door behind her. She pulled a chair to the door to block him from getting in.

"Alex!" He shouted through the door. "Let me in!"

"No!" She shouted back.

She decided to take advantage of the fact that she was in Justin's room and he couldn't get to her. She started to look through his stuff. It wasn't really all that interesting. Until she found a small, leather bound journal. She discarded the Jake picture on Justin's bed to thumb through the smooth brown diary. The pages were thin and crinkly and every square inch was covered in Justin's cramped writing. He was writing songs.

"Alex!" He said while pounding on the door. "This isn't funny!"

"What's this?" She asked, swinging open the door.

She could see his face literally pale.

"N-nothing." He said nonchalantly, but his darting eyes gave him away.

"Uh-huh." She said, unconvinced.

"Alex," He said, forcing his voice to stay come. "Give that back."

"No!" She said mischievously and raced around him, down the stairs and out the back door.

"ALEX!" She could hear him scream behind her.

She stopped on the steps leading down to the beach. She stumbled and the book fell out of her grasp onto the ground. A lyric caught her eye.

_And if you don't want me  
I guess I'll be all by myself_

She picked up the book again and started to read through the whole song. But Justin had caught up to her and ripped the book out of her hands.

"Alex, how could you do this to me?" He said, furious. "That is my private journal!"

"Can you sing this to me?" She asked suddenly, holding up the journal with that song revealed. "I didn't know you wrote songs."

He blushed, "I-I'm not going to sing it for you, Alex."

"Why not?" She pouted. She always got what she wanted.

"Because... because for one thing, it's a duet!" He sputtered nervously.

"So, I'll sing it with you." She shrugged one shoulder calmly.

He seemed to be dealing with an internal struggle but finally sighed and said, "I'll go get my guitar."

He shuffled back into the house and came back out with an old guitar he's had since he was fourteen. Alex sat on the top step of the stoop and he sat beside her. He seemed to be staring blankly at the open journal in front of him so she poked him hard in the ribs to get him started.

His voice started out shaky and rough,

"_I'm gonna wear you down  
I'm gonna make you see  
I'm gonna get to you  
You're gonna give into me_

_I'm gonna start a fire  
You're gonna feel the heat  
I'm gonna burn for you  
You're gonna melt for me"_

The song was slower then she imagined it to be and sounded simple but emotional in the warm summer air. Alex's high voice joined his low rough one for the chorus.

"_Come on, come on  
Into my arms  
Come on, come on  
Give into me" _They sang together.

"_You're gonna take my hand  
Whisper the sweetest words  
And if you're ever sad  
I'll make you laugh  
I'll chase the hurt" _Alex sang clearly the words Justin had written so carefully in the little brown book.

"_My heart is set on you  
I don't want no one else  
And if you don't want me  
I guess I'll be all by myself_

_Come on, come on  
Into my arms  
Come on, come on  
Give into me" _They sang it out loud beside each other. She realized that she liked the way their voices mingled together. The contrast was nice.

"_I'll use my eyes to draw you in  
Until I'm under your skin  
I'll use my lips, I'll use my arms  
Come on, come on, come on  
Give into me"_ Alex sang alone and suddenly felt the barely-there distance between Justin and her. She could feel the heat radiating off of his skin. She felt a blush creep across her cheeks and avoided his deep gaze.

"_Give into me  
Give into me" _They sang the last couple of lines together and as their voices were ringing out the last note, their eyes met. She shivered as she got lost in silvery green eyes. Like the rainforest in the dawn. He seemed to be moving closer. She tilted her face up slowly.

"Alex!"

Alex jerked away from Justin as Emma's sharp voice cut through their moment.

"Y-yeah?" Alex called back shakily. Justin had turned his face away from hers towards the ocean. She could only see his profile. She had no idea what he was thinking.

"Beau wants to know if you and Justin would want to see a movie with him and Marcy." Emma said through the screen door.

Justin immediately tensed his shoulders, causing Alex to wonder what was going through his head.

"Yeah, sure." She said, watching Justin's reaction. There was no doubt, this bothered him. His jaw and fists clenched and his brow furrowed. She frowned in confusion.

Later that evening, Beau picked Justin and her up. He suggested that Justin and Marcy sit in the backseat and Alex could sit up front with him. They went out to dinner and again, Justin and Marcy sat together and Alex and Beau sat across from them. They went to movies afterwards and the seating arrangements were the same. It finally clicked that Beau was trying to set up Marcy and Justin. This was a double date. Though it didn't seem to working all that well. Justin looked bored and Marcy kept shooting Beau disappointed and longing looks.

The movie was some lame romantic comedy. Alex wasn't paying that much attention. Beau was sitting on one side of her, and Justin on the other. It was enough to distract any girl.

When the movie ended, they were just walking along the street and window shopping. Beau had Alex tucked under his arm and was telling her some story about the local sea turtles. Justin and Marcy were walking a little ways in front of them. They were chatting amicably, but there was a sizeable space between them. That pleased Alex for some reason. They passed by the opening for the beach, which was locked with a fence. There was a 'Do Not Enter' sign on the fence but Alex just smirked challengingly at it.

"Let's go swimming!" She said suddenly to their little group.

"But we're not allowed." Justin said quickly.

"Scared?" She asked daringly.

He gulped and forced himself to meet her taunting dark eyes.

"Never." He finally said.

Beau was frowning and kept obsessively checking over his shoulder, but he went along with the Russo adoptive-siblings. Marcy seemed thrilled with this small act of rebellion. They all scaled the fences. Alex had a lot of experience doing that. They ran down the beach and stood by the water's edge.

"What do we do now?" Beau asked. "We don't have bathing suits."

"So?" Alex asked, winking at him. She pulled off her t-shirt and shorts to reveal a lacy red bra and thong. She could see Justin's and Beau's eyes widen. She grinned.

Beau slowly pulled his t-shirt off and dropped his shorts to a pair of black boxers. Alex and him clasped hands and ran into the water, laughing and shrieking. Marcy and Justin followed them in more slowly. Marcy seemed shy; Justin was gently holding her hand. She smiled up at him and he said something to her, too low for Alex to hear. They were in the water at this point and Alex scowled possessively. She swam over to them and sent a huge wave of water towards Justin.

"Alex!" He screamed loudly.

She laughed and kicked off from the sand. She swam off like a fish as fast as she could and was pleased to notice that Justin was following her. They were out so deep, they couldn't touch the bottom. He splashed her and she tried to swim off again. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Her body crashed against his. She inhaled sharply. Their bodies were tangling under water; she could feel his bare, wet skin. She felt her heart drop to her toes and saw her reflection in his eyes. Fear and desire were clouding her mind; she had no control over anything.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, Beau called her over to him. He said he'd seen someone looking at them. They all hurried out of the water and back to his car. For the rest of the night, Alex couldn't meet Justin's or Beau's eyes.

**A/N im sorry im the worst person ever at updating but it is a bit longer and there are some more jalex, so am i forgiven? Pretty please review! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N thanks for the great reviews guys! Btw, the song was called 'Give Into Me' I heard it in the movie Country Strong, it was sung by Leighton Meester and Garrett Hudlund. I don't own wowp, i am doing this for fun!**

Lately, Alex and Justin had been spending all of their time with Marcy and Beau. She thought that Beau hadn't given up on Marcy and Justin becoming a couple. She knew that Justin and Marcy couldn't be a couple, Marcy was in love with Beau and Justin just wasn't interested in her. She wasn't angry with Marcy for loving Beau, how could anyone not love him? Alex mostly felt guilty. Because she knew, deep down that Beau loved Marcy too.

The four young adults were wandering down the beach, skipping rocks into the ocean, running in the surf and basically just being silly and having fun.

"Let's have a piggy-back race!" Beau suddenly said mischievously.

"I don't know..." Justin said slowly.

"Afraid you're going to lose?" Alex said, grinning wildly at him.

He scoffed, "In your dreams!"

Alex clambered up onto Beau's back and Marcy shyly climbed onto Justin and gingerly held his shoulders.

"First one to that big rock wins!" Alex shouted, pointing to the boulder that lay about forty feet away from them.

"Go!" Justin yelled and sprinted off down the beach. Beau was right behind him.

They were neck and neck right up to the rock. But as they both reached out to touch the rock, it was a tie.

"It's a tie." Marcy said as she slid off of Justin's back.

"Best two out of three?" Alex asked.

"Alright, but let's have different partners this time." Justin said.

"Alright, so Justin, do you want to be on top of Beau or on the bottom?" Alex asked evilly.

"Alex!" Beau snapped. But he then rolled his eyes with a smile on his face.

"I was going to suggest, Marcy could piggy-back with Beau and you could piggy-back with me." Justin said stiffly.

"Oh well, that works too!" Alex said quickly.

As the girls moved towards their new partners, Alex said, "But let's make this interesting. Losing team has to buy the winning team ice cream."

"You're so on." Beau said, he kissed her cheek then crouched down so Marcy could climb on his back easier.

Alex hopped onto Justin's back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck.

"Go!" Justin shouted and took off running towards home.

"Go faster!" Alex shrieked and slapped his shoulders repeatedly.

"Alex, stop it! I can't focus!" Justin shouted at her.

But she didn't stop and kept pushing his shoulders and slapping his head and wiggling around on his back that he stumbled and tripped, careening both of them into the ocean. Alex gasped as she thrown into the salty water and sputtered and choked as she got a mouthful of it. She was tangled up with Justin so much that she couldn't even sit up. Suddenly, Justin's strong hand pulled her out of the waves and dragged her to the shore. He was drenched as well and was also coughing out ocean water.

"You okay?" He asked, breathing deeply.

"Yeah." She gasped.

They could see Marcy and Beau were already at the house. They were high fiving and waving to the Russo's.

"Guess we owe them ice cream." Justin stated.

"Ugh, but you're buying." Alex said.

"Yeah I didn't really expect that you would chip in." He said, nodding.

"Aww, you know me so well!" She teased, pushing him gently.

He sighed and threw his arm around her. She walked back to where her boyfriend stood waiting for her, tucked neatly beside the man she had always thought of as a brother. But the way he was smirking at her, and the way her heart was skipping beats was defiantly not just sibling love.

"Dry off and we will go into town for ice cream!" Marcy said to Justin and Alex.

Beau gave her an odd look when he saw that Justin had his arm around her but didn't say anything. Alex could feel her stomach knot with guilt.

They changed into dry clothes and met Beau and Marcy waiting by Beau's truck. They all piled in and drove to the ice cream parlour.

"I'll have a Mint Chocolate Chip cone please." Beau said to the girl behind the counter. "And do you want Cookie Dough in a bowl?" He asked Marcy.

"I can't believe you remember what flavour I like." She whispered.

"Well of course I do." He said to her. "You're like my best friend."

They seemed to be oblivious to everyone else as they stared at each other with new eyes. Eventually the server cleared her throat and said, "So one Mint Chocolate Chip and one Cookie Dough?"

Beau seemed surprised to see her, as if he had forgotten she was there at all.

"Oh... yeah. Thanks." He said oddly, like he was clearing his mind after being underwater for a long time. "And he's paying." He clapped Justin on the shoulder and then the two Floridians went to find a table.

And as usual Justin spent a year deliberating on which flavour he should get. He sampled them all twice and when the line behind them grew to out the door, he finally decided on Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Alex picked the first thing she saw.

"I can't believe you got Cotton Candy ice cream!" Justin reprimanded her. "You're going to rot your teeth out!"

"Good!" She shouted and took a big lick out of her bright blue and pink ice cream.

"You're such a child." He said affectionately.

"Yo' momma's such a child!" She snapped and ducked out of the way of his hand as he was about to poke her.

"You two are so funny together." Marcy commented, causing Justin and Alex to freeze in action. "You have the greatest sibling rivalry."

But it didn't _feel _like sibling rivalry when she was with Justin, Alex thought to herself. It didn't feel like that at all.

For the rest of the evening, Justin and Alex were relatively normal. They _tried_ to be good at least. Alex kept repeatedly poking Justin so he tried to smash his ice cream in her face but she ducked just in time. Poor Marcy was left with chocolate ice cream dripping from her nose and chin. So to retaliate, Beau picked up Marcy's bowl and threw it at Justin, and missed. He hit a kid in the back of his head and accidently started a food fight in the ice cream parlour. The four teens ducked out of there before security could be called.

Alex was giggling the whole way back to the car.

"That was so fun!" She laughed. "We should do this again sometime."

"Alex!" Justin said. "That was very immature!"

"I'd rather be immature than boring." She pointed out.

"I'm not boring." He said stubbornly. "I'm grown up."

"Oh, please!" She cried. "You still take baths and sleep and footy pajamas!"

"Only sometimes!" He exclaimed loudly. "Only _sometimes _do I sleep in footy pajamas and take baths!"

She smiled at him and felt her heart literally warm. She also caught the looks on Marcy's and Beau's faces. She scowled and silently got into the truck. The ride back home was strange. Beau kept glancing at Marcy. Clearly the moment in the ice cream shop was still on his mind. Alex found she didn't mind. They obviously had chemistry. She loved Beau just like everyone else in this town did, for his goodness and his handsomeness but she wasn't _in _love with him like she suspected Marcy was. She didn't know him since they were small or have inside jokes. She didn't know his favourite ice cream flavours off by heart or what he sounded like before his voice cracked. She didn't have memories of playing together in kindergarten or the feeling that he was the missing half of her. Marcy did know those things about him. She had those feelings for him. And maybe, in time, Alex could grow to have those feelings for him as well, but it wouldn't be natural. It would be a forced love. And that wasn't fair to either of them.

The person that she did feel connected to was, Justin. She had always just assumed that it was because they were brother and sister, but now that she knew they were not, she didn't know what those feelings meant. All she knew was that they were stronger when they were together. She felt better when he was near her. It was like their souls were combined. They _needed _each other.

Beau pulled into Emma's house and kissed Alex goodnight. She hopped out of the truck with Justin right behind her. She wandered into the house and Emma hurried out of the kitchen to greet them with a smile.

"How was your night?" She asked.

"Alex started a war in the ice cream place and probably has seven cavities now." He said with a straight face, but winked at Alex. Her stomach flipped.

"Fun times." Emma said.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Justin said, checking his watch. "If I don't get a full eight hours of sleep, I'll just be a wreck tomorrow!"

Alex stifled a grin and called after him, "Goodnight, dork!"

"Night, Alex!"

She smiled to herself but froze when she saw Emma's amused yet accusing look.

"What?" Alex asked defensively.

"Oh, nothing." Emma said nonchalantly. "Is there anything you would like to tell me? Anything about a certain dark haired boy who takes bubble baths and wears water shoes when he swims?"

Emma had a grin on her face like she knew all too much of what Alex was thinking.

"Okay, so I have this friend." Alex said slowly. She decided she could trust Emma. She was pretty cool for a grown up. "And my friend... er... Al...lison. Yeah, Allison has a boyfriend who is super amazing and everyone loves him because he is so kind and handsome. But there is this other boy as well who she has known her whole life and he's really nerdy but also kind of... sweet, in a Disney Prince Charming kind of way. And she might... love them both. And she's not sure what to do."

"Well." Emma said thoughtfully, guiding Alex into a kitchen chair. "I think you should tell your friend Allison that she should flip a coin. Heads, for her boyfriend, tails for the other boy. And as she's throwing it up into the air, the second before it lands, she'll know which boy she wants. Because in that last second, she'll be hoping it will land on either heads or tails, and the one she hopes for is the one she should choose."

Emma wordlessly handed Alex a penny.

"I think I'll – er, I'll give this to Allison later." She said, pocketing the penny. She wasn't ready yet.

She started to walk up the stairs, but turned and said quietly, "Thanks, Emma."

"No problem, sweetie." She said quietly in return.

Alex placed the penny on her dresser, right in the middle where she could see it. Someday, she would be ready to know who she really wanted. Heads or tails.

**A/N thanks for reading my amigos! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! As you can see, alex is realizing her feelings for a certain adoptive brother of hers! Lol please review and tell me what you think! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N thanks for the reviews guys! You are all awesome!**

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Yes, we'll be fine." Justin said calmly.

Emma frowned again and checked her watch. She was going away for the weekend to a pottery convention and was leaving Justin and Alex home alone. She was nervous, but Justin tried to calm her down.

"And remember, I'll be home on Sunday! So you only have to be alone for tonight and Saturday!" She said for the hundredth time. "And I've let Melissa and Richard, Beau's parents, know that you're going to be alone if you need anything from them."

"I think we're going to be okay, Emma." Alex said from the couch. "Mom and dad have let me and Justin stay home alone tons of times."

"Well... okay." She said, but still didn't step out of the doorway.

"Seriously woman! Justin is twenty and I am eighteen! It's not like we're five years old!" Alex snapped.

"Alex!" Justin reprimanded.

"You're right, you're right." Emma murmured. "Now where did I leave my keys?"

Justin smirked and handed them to her. She kissed his cheek, leaned down to kiss Alex's cheek and then walked out the front door, glancing behind her worriedly.

"Yes, she's gone!" Alex sprung up and said, the second the door shut behind Emma.

She waved her wand and changed Emma's bright family room into a disco.

"Alex-" Justin started to say.

She changed the disco into a safari.

"Alex! We can't have Emma's living room be turned into a safari!" Justin scolded her.

"You're so right." She said seriously. She then waved her wand again and magicked them away to the centre of Time's Square.

"Alex! I mean it, bring us back!" Justin said.

"But don't you miss being in New York?" She asked sweetly, waving her hands around her to the busy city that was moving around them like they couldn't even see them.

Justin sighed. "I'm just not ready to come back here yet."

She could see the sadness and bitterness still on his face, even though they had been away for more than a month. Without a word, she flashed them back home.

"So what do you want for dinner?" Alex asked to cut the tension.

"How about spaghetti?" Justin offered.

"Great thanks!" She said and jumped onto the couch. "Call me when it's ready."

"I don't think so." He scoffed. "You're helping me cook it."

"Ugh!" She groaned and dragged herself off the couch and into the kitchen.

"Fill this pot with water then put it on the stove on high." He said slowly. "Then when it boils, put the spaghetti noodles in."

"How do I know when it's boiling?" She asked.

"Bubbles will form at the surface." He answered and got the sauce out of the fridge.

Alex nodded. This seemed easy enough. She dug around the cupboards until she found a big pot and filled it with water. She followed Justin's instructions and then stared at the pot.

"Why isn't it boiling?" She asked.

"It takes a few minutes." He answered, pouring the spaghetti sauce into a pan on the stove.

"You know Alex; you really need to learn how to cook." He said. "It's a basic life skill. What are you going to do when you move out?"

"You're going to cook for me." She answered nonchalantly.

"I meant when we don't live together anymore." He said softly.

She frowned. She had never really imagined the day when they didn't live together anymore. She had always thought that he would be there for her, always.

"I'll just order take-out then!" She said with a laugh, but her smile slipped when he wasn't looking.

She put the pasta into the boiling water and leaned against the counter. Justin was making garlic bread. She watched the expression of concentration on his face and the way his strong hands buttered the bread, the way Emma's stupid _Quiche the Cook _apron wrapped around his lean torso.

Suddenly Justin looked up and their eyes met. Her heart stopped. The he was shouting, "ALEX!" She turned around in shock to see the pasta bubbling over. He ran over and lifted the lid and stirred the spaghetti. It was all stuck to the bottom of the pot.

"I'm sure it will still taste good." He said weakly.

Alex sighed. She could never do anything right.

He seemed to guess her thoughts because he said, "Can you make the Caesar salad please?"

Alex worked so damn hard on that salad. And even though the spaghetti tasted like burnt rubber, he couldn't stop praising her on her salad making skills.

"No, really." Justin said with a wide smile. "This is the best salad I have ever tasted in my life!"

"Oh, stop." She teased, batting her eyelashes mock-flirtatiously. "You're making me blush!"

He laughed again, and she felt her heart ache. They were sitting at the kitchen table with the lights dimmed and a few candles lit. They were really getting along well. Alex wasn't pretending to be rude and Justin wasn't bossing her around.

They finished their dinner and Justin made Alex help him clean up. She was washing the dishes and he was putting them away. The rain pounded against the windows they could see lightning flash in the distance.

"Justin, I'm bored." Alex whined, up to her elbows in soapy water.

"Too bad." He said. "Just finish up and we can do something else."

She pouted so he started to dance around the kitchen with the broom that was propped up against the corner. He sang along to the song on the radio and made a sexy tango face to the broom. Against her will, Alex started to giggle.

"You are such a loser!" She said, laughing. She threw a handful of bubbles at him.

He grinned and reached into the sink to throw bubbles back at her. She laughed and they continued to have a bubble fight until Emma's kitchen was coated with fluffy white suds. Alex had it in her hair and Justin had it all over his shirt.

"Truce?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"Truce." She agreed shaking his hand, but with her other hand she tossed soapy bubbles back in his face.

He shrieked like a girl and they continued fighting until Alex slipped on some bubbles that were on the floor and Justin wouldn't let them play anymore because it was 'too dangerous'.

After dinner, they watched TV. Which was of course, easier said than done. They couldn't agree on what to watch.

"There's a documentary on the History Channel about Dark Matter and Black Holes." Justin said eagerly.

"Ugh, no way." Alex said and flipped right past it with the remote. "We're watching that new reality show where they put celebrities in a tiger cage and-"

"Alex!" Justin said, pulling the remote out of her grasp. "That is so violent! There is no way we are watching that!"

"Your show is boring!" She leaned over and tugged the controller out of his hands.

"It – is – not!" He grunted as he fought Alex off the remote.

"Uh, yeah!" She said and pulled hard on the controller.

They continued to struggle until Alex suddenly let go, causing Justin to fall against her. She was knocked back against the couch and she stared in surprise at him. He was barely an inch from her face. She could see her reflection in his deep, smoky green eyes. They stayed like that for a second, laying against each other, until Justin pulled away from her sharply and tossed the remote at her.

"You can, er, watch whatever you want." He said awkwardly, hurrying towards the stairs. "I'm – I'm going to bed."

She sat right where he left her, staring in confusion at the stairs he just disappeared up. She watched the stupid reality show she was talking about but it wasn't as much fun without Justin there to nag her about violence and bad values. She eventually just turned it off and went to bed.

The storm still raged outside and Alex huddled deeper into her fluffy blankets. She very clearly remembered a time long, long ago when she was four and Justin was six. There was a huge storm and at that time, she was terrified of thunder storms. Justin knew this, and came into her room in the middle of the night when the storm was particularly bad just to check up on her. She wouldn't let him leave until the storm ended. They ended up falling asleep together. Their parents came in to wake Alex up in the morning and saw them together. They still have the picture they say is so 'adorable'. Of course, Alex has tried to destroy it many times.

She suddenly felt very sad and strangely nostalgic for that time. When her and Justin were still best friends and siblings. When she didn't have a strange crush on him and things weren't so complicated.

She slid out of her bed and tip-toed out of her room and down the hall and into Justin's room. Without a word, she climbed into his bed and lay beside him. He didn't say anything either, just moved over to make more room for her and adjusted the blankets around her. They fell asleep together.

**A/N i hope you liked it! Pretty please review! :) **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N hey guys sorry it's been so long, i came up with a plan to update as soon as possible, but of course it didn't work out. Anyway, i don't own this and enjoy!**

Alex woke up the next morning with Justin's arm draped across her body and his face burrowed into her shoulder. She was pressed against him and their legs were tangled together. Justin's familiar warmth was comforting and she was about to pretend to be asleep just so they wouldn't have to move, but that was the moment he woke up and got up.

He had to bribe Alex with pancakes to make her get up, but of course she refused to help cook them. They went downstairs to the quiet kitchen. He had the radio going softly in the kitchen and Alex could hear him humming along. He was cooking bacon as well as the pancakes as Alex painted in the next room. The huge picture windows were letting in all the morning sun and Alex felt more at peace then she had in a long while. The smell of paint mixed surprisingly well with the scent of cooking breakfast. She absentmindedly wondered what their life would be like if they were together.

They would've lived in a house with lots of windows. It would have an upstairs loft where she could paint and a back porch where they would watch the sunset together every evening. They would fall asleep together and wake up together; just like how it is now. He would make her breakfast as she painted. He would write cheesy love songs and play guitar and serenade her. He would bring home flowers just because. They would fight but he would let her win. He would live little sticky notes reminding her to water the plants or get the groceries. She imagined little dark haired children running around a back yard. He would be so good with them.

Suddenly, his loud voice broke her out of her daydream. "Hey Alex, I'm making a fruit smoothie, do you want one too?" He called from the kitchen.

"Y-yeah!" She answered shakily.

She looked down at the painting she had done without even paying attention. It was a painting of her daydream. In the painting, Alex sitting on a bench on the back porch of an old fashioned farm house that was white with blue shutters. Justin was chasing two dark haired kids and they were laughing as they ran away from him. It was early evening. There was an old oak tree with jam-jar lanterns hanging from it. They all looked so peaceful and happy. In the painting, Alex was grinning and watching her husband and kids lovingly.

"What are you painting?" Justin asked, poking his head out from around the doorframe to the kitchen.

"Nothing!" She said quickly.

He had a confused look on his face, but didn't question her further. "Well, breakfast will be ready in five minutes. I think you're going to like it!"

She smiled awkwardly at his enthusiasm. She ran upstairs with her painting. She looked at it one last time before she shoved it to the back of the closet. She briefly considered destroying it, but she just... couldn't. But she didn't want to look at it. She knew it was a stupid fantasy.

She went to have breakfast with Justin. She was quiet, but he didn't make her talk to him. That was one of the things she liked best about him. He didn't push her.

After they ate, he tried to cheer her up. Because even though he didn't know what was wrong, he knew she wasn't alright.

"Let's go swimming!" He exclaimed suddenly.

"Ugh, fine." She drawled.

He ran down the beach cheering as he went. She refused to allow herself to check out his broad back or cute ass. She just wouldn't. She sullenly walked down to the water's edge. She dipped one toe in, but took a step back.

"Come on, Alex." Justin said, already dripping wet and standing a few feet away from her.

She crossed her arms over her blue bikini and pouted. He smiled and gently held his hand out for her to take. He disarmed her with that smile, so without thinking, she took his hand slowly. He grinned and yanked her forwards, causing her to fall into the deep blue ocean.

"JUSTIN!" She shrieked loud enough to cause the seagulls sitting on the beach to fly away in fear.

"Yeah?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

She splashed him back and he jumped at her, his hands running down her wet side. She shivered and swam off. He swam after her picked her up in the water. She made him carry her around in the ocean for a good hour until he dropped her, causing her to attack him with renewed passion. They fought and wrestled in the water, until a raindrop fell between them.

"Alex, we should get out of the water." Justin said worriedly. "It's not safe to be in the water in a storm."

"It's not a storm, it's just raining." She pointed out. "And it's kind of nice being in the water while it's raining."

She floated in the water with her eyes shut. She could feel water all around her. She heard Justin sigh and smiled. She ducked her head under water and then floated upwards again. It was relaxing and thrilling at the same time. She opens one eye to see Justin staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He half-smiles at her. "You're just something else."

"Something good I hope." She said stiffly and shuts her eyes again. Her ears are half in the water, so it's a little hard to hear. But she swears that she heard Justin say, "Something perfect."

She is nearly asleep when Justin grabs her arms roughly and pulls her towards him.

"Alex, we have to go in now." He said, a note of panic in his voice. "I see lightning."

She wasn't an idiot. She knew that being in water during a lightning storm was dangerously stupid. But unfortunately, they had floated much farther out then she had thought. She clasped hands with Justin and they swam back to the beach and Emma's house they could distantly see. They didn't let go of each other until they were safely on land. He was stronger than she was, so it was mostly Justin dragging Alex back. When she collapsed onto the beach she was panting with fatigue and coughing out ocean water.

"Come on." He murmured to her and helped her to her feet. He held her in his arms all the way to Emma's back porch where they left their towels. He wrapped a fuzzy green towel around her tightly before grabbing his own towel.

They stood watching the storm for a minute in silence. The lightning flashed against the rolling ocean and thunder crashed, making the sky shake. She leaned tiredly against Justin and he let her. She looked up to see him watching her, some deep pain in his eyes. Longing, maybe. She kept looking into his dark eyes.

"Alex-" He started to say huskily, but she cut him off.

She didn't know why she did it. She kissed him. She had to stand on her tip-toes and he had to lean down. He snaked a strong arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She tangled her fingers in his wet hair and he ran a finger down her spine. He tasted of seawater and mint. They kissed and kissed and kissed until it seemed that the world would explode from the passion they felt for each other.

But then she pushed away from him. She couldn't look at him. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared out into the ocean. She chanced a glance at him, to see him staring at her with swollen lips and lust in his eyes. She imagined she looked the same way.

"Alex-" He started to say again, but once again, she wouldn't let him.

"_Don't_." She hissed firmly and ran upstairs.

She slammed her bedroom door shut and ripped off her bathing suit and pulled on the fleeciest, thickest pajamas she owned. She went out of her way to not look at herself in the mirror and climbed into bed. She pulled the covers over her head and slid down to the bottom of the bed. She shut her eyes. She had never been more ashamed of herself. For one thing, she cheated on her boyfriend. For another, she cheated with her _brother. _And even though he wasn't her brother by blood, she had gone eighteen years thinking that he was her older brother. She was so confused. She whimpered and tried to hold in her tears. She just wanted her mother.

**A/N yay a jalex kiss! And alex is confused about her feelings. Pretty please with jalex on top review? Thank you and happy easter! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N sorry its been so long guys, im writing another fic at the same time. But thanks for sticking with me, if any of you even has. **

Alex spent the next day holed up in her room. After that disastrous incident on Saturday morning, she spent the rest of the day and night in her room. When Emma returned on Sunday morning, she returned to a quiet house with the air of bitter disappointment and heartbreak all around. She couldn't find Justin anywhere and Alex had locked herself in her room. No matter how many times Emma pounded on her door, she wouldn't come out.

Alex was a mess. She was so confused. She really liked Beau, but Marcy loved him and she knew deep down he loved her back. And then there was Justin. Somehow, everything always came back to Justin. She couldn't help but smile whenever she thought of his face, and he could always make her feel better. She wished she could ask him what she should do, he always had great advice. But she couldn't. Not this time.

She stifled a cry of pain and squeezed her eyes shut. Love wasn't supposed to hurt. It was supposed to be kissing in the rain and flowers and sunshine and laughter. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. She blearily opened her eyes to see a picture of her and Justin sitting on her dresser.

She stood up off of her bed and walked over to her dresser. She picked up the picture and smiled. It was taken on July the Fourth and in the picture, the sun had just gone down. There were fireworks in the air and Alex had her tongue stuck out and was laughing. Justin had an arm around her and was gazing at her while grinning. The picture wasn't planned or posed, it was impulsive and sudden and showed Alex exactly what she needed to see.

She loved Justin. She _loved _him. The force of that realization hit her like a truck. She saw Emma's penny sitting on the dresser and laughed. She didn't need it anymore. She bounded downstairs eagerly. Emma was sitting at the kitchen table eating a late breakfast and drinking coffee.

"Oh, there you are," She said looking up from the newspaper. "I was wondering why no one came down to say hello."

"Sorry," Alex said easily. "Do you have any more of those?" She asked pointing to the pancakes. Organizing her feelings made her hungry.

Emma handed her a plate and Alex tucked in. She hadn't eaten in nearly twenty-four hours and was starving. She was grinning wildly and couldn't wait to talk to Justin. She then decided to talk to Beau first; he deserved to be with someone who could love him back fully. Alex dropped her fork and raced away from the table.

"Hey, where are you going?" Emma called after her.

"Gotta talk to Beau!" She shouted back, slamming the screen door behind her.

She pounded on Beau's door and bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited for him to open up. But then when she did see his face, still sleepy and rumpled looking, she froze up.

He smiled when he saw her, "Hey, Alex." He said cheerfully.

"Hi, Beau." She said more seriously.

He frowned, "Is something wrong?"

"Um, actually yeah." She murmured. "Can you come outside for a minute?"

He silently followed her until they were standing on his front lawn.

"I want to break up." She whispered. She had never been one to beat around the bush or be tactful; coming out and being honest was the easiest and most direct way to go.

To his credit, Beau didn't start screaming or shouting like her past ex-boyfriends, he just smiled sadly and said, "Alright, if that's what you want. But can I ask why?"

Alex didn't know what to say.

"It's Justin, isn't it?" Beau whispered. "I knew it from the very first day."

She turned away from him. She knew he was upset, and she was worried that he would be angry or laugh at her for loving her adoptive brother.

"I don't hate you." He said softly, answering her unspoken question. "When you two are together... it's as if there is no one left on Earth. You exist in your own little world."

"I'm so sorry." Alex whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had never wanted to hurt him. He was such a good person.

"It's okay, Alex." He said, attempting a brave smile. "I hope we can still be friends."

She nodded and just as he was about to turn away, she called after him, "Have you ever thought about Marcy?"

"Marcy?" He repeated, turning back to look at her with confusion in his blue eyes.

"I think you two would make a really cute couple." Alex said, with a half-smile.

"I did have a... have a sort of crush on her on high school." He said slowly, embarrassed. "I haven't thought about that since then."

"I think you should." Alex said softly.

Beau nodded and smiled at her one last time before turning away and walking up his porch steps back inside his house. Alex felt sad because he was honestly one of the nicest people she had ever met, but mostly she felt free and hopeful. She hastily wiped away her tears and hurried back into Emma's house. She had to talk to Justin.

"Where's Justin?" Alex asked Emma after she had looked all throughout the house without being able to find him.

"Oh." Emma said quietly. "Well... he's gone."

"Gone where?" Alex asked, peering out the back window.

"I don't know." Emma said.

Alex turned around in confusion. "He left?" She asked. She frowned. Why would he just leave?

"Yes, he said he just had to leave, he couldn't stay here anymore and he needed time to think." Emma said.

Alex felt her heart stop. It felt like it was beating backwards it hurt so much. He had left her. He didn't want to be with her after all. She was so _sure_... She bit her lip to keep from crying.

"Alright then." Alex said in a would-be calm voice.

She spun on her heel and ran out of the kitchen. She ran up to Justin's room and started going through his things. She then looked all over the house but couldn't find what she was looking for. She needed to get out of here as well. She needed to _go. _She wanted to find the IPP so she could go back to New York, but appeared Justin hid it. She groaned in frustration. She ended up calling her parents and begging a plane ticket off of them. She hurriedly through her clothes into her suitcase and hugged Emma goodbye. She called a cab to pick her up and drive her to the airport because Justin had the car. She took one last look at the house where she fell in love then drove off without a backwards glance.

She arrived at the airport and went through customs. She signed in her luggage and waited for her flight to be called. She sat in the waiting lounge staring out the window and blaring her iPod. She didn't want to think anymore. Her flight was called so she stood up to board the plane. Suddenly she heard someone running and people shouting.

Her jaw dropped as she saw two security guards chasing a skinny, rumpled looking dark haired man. His feet skidded against the linoleum floor. Their eyes met and he started shouting again.

"Alex!" Justin cried. "Don't go!"

**A/N does this count as a cliffhanger? I hope you enjoyed it, pretty please review! **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N thanks for the reviews/alerts/favourites guys! Im glad that you're enjoying the story. I don't own WOWP. **

_Her jaw dropped as she saw two security guards chasing a skinny, rumpled looking dark haired man. His feet skidded against the linoleum floor. Their eyes met and he started shouting again._

_"Alex!" Justin cried. "Don't go!"_

He was staring at her anxiously and she still couldn't move. The crowds of people standing around them were watching as if it were a movie. The attendant was still reaching out towards Alex to get her ticket and the security guards were glaring at Justin.

"You're going to have to come with me, sir." The security guard said roughly.

"In a minute." Justin said impatiently and shook off the guards thick hands.

Alex was still in shock. She really had no idea what was going on.

"Emma called me," He said desperately, stepping towards her. "She told me you were going back to New York. I couldn't let you leave."

Her voice returned to her and she started shouting at him, "Why not? _You _left!"

He winced. "I didn't, Alex. I went for a drive to think about... things."

"What kind of things?" She asked waspishly.

He shrugged helplessly. "You kissed me and then ran off. You had a boyfriend yet I always had the feeling you were flirting with me. I know you're the last person I should love, but-" He broke off and blushed deeply.

She turned away from him. She wanted to be mad. She wanted to scream and rage at him until her hurt healed. She wanted to fight. But he looked so genuine and so sad. She scowled. She crossed her arms and tried to look indifferent and intimidating.

"But what?" She said coldly. "You left this morning. I think you made it pretty clear that you didn't want..." She didn't know what he didn't want. Her, maybe. He probably didn't want to be the freak who's dating his sister.

Suddenly, he was angry. "You left too, remember!" He exclaimed loudly. "You ran away! You hid away in your room and refused to talk to me! What was I supposed to think? And you have a boyfriend!"

"_Had._" She corrected. "I broke up with Beau. I was under the impression that you would want to have something to do with me."

You looked surprised that she had split with Beau but he moved on, "I _do _want something to do with you! You're making this really difficult!"

Alex knew she was being a crazy bitch. She was testing him. It was one of her many faults. She pushed and pushed and pushed the people she cared about until they snapped just to see if they really would stand by her even when she was being irrational.

"I don't care." She said sullenly. "I don't want to do this."

"Well I do." He said more gently. He softly stroked her cheek and, unwillingly, she looked up at him. She sighed.

"What if you find someone better?" She muttered.

"That's not possible." He said so low, she could barely hear him.

"What if you get tired of me?" She murmured.

"I could never." He whispered to her.

"What if everyone hates you because you're with me?" She asked.

"I would be alright because I would have you." He said honestly. She felt tears prick her eyes and angrily wiped them away. She wouldn't be one of those over emotional girls who cried at every little thing.

"You're going to stop." She whispered, secretly terrified. "You're going to stop wanting this. Me."

He frowned. "Alex, why would you say that? I will _always _want you."

A tiny sob broke free from her lips. _No one _had ever said that to her before. She always felt like everyone was tolerating her. Sure they loved her, but they would get tired of her and leave her behind eventually. Her family and friends loved her, but none of them needed her. They were better off without her. Justin was the only person who, if he actually left her, would shatter her. She needed him like she needed oxygen. He was a necessity. And if he got tired of her one day and decided he was better off without her, she knew she would break beyond repair.

"I'm scared." She whispered her deepest secret in a busy airport to the only person who made her feel like anything was possible.

"Me too." He admitted. He was smiling at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"What's going to happen?" She asked him.

"I don't know." He said with a grin. "I just know that we can handle it."

She smiled and hugged him so tight, she could feel his heartbeat. She fit perfectly against his body, they were two puzzle pieces made to be together.

"I love you, Alex." Justin whispered into her thick hair. She smiled against his chest.

"I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up." She told him sternly. "I love you too."

"Awwwww!" He cooed at her. She punched him in the shoulder.

And then, he kissed her. Or she kissed him. They kissed each other in the exact same second; it was hard to tell who initiated it. It was their first kiss. Their first _real _kiss where she wasn't trying to drown him or they weren't scared and impulsive. He made her brave.

People around them started to applaud and wolf-whistle. Alex jumped in surprise. She had forgotten that they were in a public place. She now understood what Beau meant when he said they were in their own little world.

Justin picked up her suitcase and said to the security guards, "Er, sorry for troubling you guys."

But to both of their surprise, both guards were blubbering and sniffling. "That was beautiful." One of them wailed. "You and your lady friend can leave without a fine. That was the sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life!"

"Well... thank you then." Justin said awkwardly. He slung an arm around Alex's shoulder and together they headed outside.

She couldn't stop grinning. She looked up at him to see him looking down at her. She smirked. A taxi pulled up outside the airport.

"Race ya." She said, smirking.

"You are so on." He grinned back.

They sprinted off down the sidewalk laughing like two fools in love.

**A/N okay i know this is insanely short but i hoped you liked it anyways! Sorry if it was cheesy, but i think everyone needs some romantic fluff every once in a while. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N this story has come a **_**long **_**way. I was never originally going to continue with it after the first chapter, but all the great support i got from you guys was totally worth it! Oh and for some reason, fanfiction wont let me respond to reviews, i don't know why. So here is one big THANK YOU for anyone who has cared enough to drop me a note about what they think of my story. **

Alex padded across the cool wooden floor down the now familiar path to her _new boyfriend's _bedroom. She opened the door and slipped inside. She took a flying leap and landed beside him on the bed. He grunted in surprise and she smirked.

"Hi." She said simply.

"You're going to be the death of me." He groaned, but he was smiling.

She snuggled down under his covers and pressed up against him. One of her latest joys was sneaking into his room and seeing how far she could go before he would kick her out because he 'didn't want to do anything with his mother fifteen feet away'. She rubbed her barefoot in slow circles against his ankle, making him shiver. She grinned.

"Alex..." He growled, making _her _shiver.

She settled for kissing the base of his throat – the highest point on him she could reach without wiggling up – and moving closer to him. He put his arms around her and sighed, she could feel it rumbling throughout his entire body.

They were quiet for a moment. She loved the night time because while she teased and kissed him, she loved just laying with him being silent. It was comforting like a warm blanket. There were no expectations and she could finally let her guard down. Just laying with him in the darkness was the easiest thing in the world.

"How long have you been in love with me?" She asked him suddenly.

She could tell she had surprised him.

"I-I don't know." He finally said. "I guess... well, the vacation was when I first noticed that something was... different between us. And then it progressed from there. But I didn't put a name to that feeling until just a few months ago."

"Really? What was it that made you realize?" She asked in genuine honesty.

"It was your prom." He said with a contrite expression. "You walked down those stairs to the restaurant in that red dress... the customers were cheering and wolf-whistling. You were so beautiful." He said with a touch of awe in his voice. His gaze was slightly reminiscent, as if he was seeing something Alex wasn't.

She remembered that night. She remembered the skin tight scarlet red dress that had a plunging neckline and pooled around her sharp black stilettos. She remembered spending two hours getting her hair _just right _and the way she actually felt pretty as she stood in front of her full length mirror and stared at herself. Her ebony hair was twisted into an elegant knot and her lips were a slash of red against her pale skin. She had dressed up for Mason, but felt surprisingly pleased that Justin – _her brother_ – couldn't take his eyes off of her. She flaunted herself in front of him and she didn't even know why. But after she had walked down the winding staircase and out the restaurant door with Mason, Justin wasn't there when she got back.

Alex frowned as she remembered, "Why didn't you speak to me after that night? You noticed the way I looked, I know you did, but you refused to even be in the same room with me after that! You didn't look into my eyes for weeks!"

He lowered his eyes in shame, "Imagine realizing that you were in love with your sister." He said quietly. "I was so ashamed. I didn't want to be near you because I wanted you so badly and I knew I could never have you. But then I figured, I might as well just try and get over it. It was like having a terminal illness, I could let it take over my life or I could just let it go and hoped it faded with time."

Alex was distraught. She couldn't imagine how painful it must've been to long for someone who you could never even hope to be with. And she was still going out with Mason, which must've been even worse for him.

Alex kissed Justin. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "But at least we're together now."

He kissed her back. She loved kissing him. It was definitely her favourite hobby. He made her heart beat double-time and her toes tingle.

"How long have you loved me?" He asked her.

Alex didn't want to tell him that it wasn't as long as he had loved her. But she didn't want to lie. "I only realized it a couple of days ago when I broke up with Beau. But I had definitely been having the same sort of feelings, I just ignored them."

He shook his head mockingly, "Oh Alex," He said with a smirk. "You are so clueless."

"Hey!" She exclaimed indignantly. She smacked him in the face with a pillow. He shrieked like a girl then hit her back, but much more gently.

She hit him again and then they had to try and stifle their giggles as to not wake Emma. They continued the pillow fight until an especially loud snore from Emma decided they better quit. The settled with just laying next to each other and listening to two hearts that beat as one.

"I really love you." Justin turned to her and said.

"I really love you too." She whispered back. When she was with Justin, she didn't feel embarrassed about her feelings or emotions because she knew he would never judge her for them. She told him twenty times a day that she loved him, if she felt like it, where she never did that with any of her past boyfriends because she was too scared of damaging her reputation. But she wasn't scared with Justin.

She woke up and realized with a sense of panic that she must've fallen asleep with him. They _never _fell asleep together, they were too afraid of Emma walking in and finding them. Alex scrambled out of the tangle of sheets and out of his door. She raced back to her own room and leaped into her bed just in time for Emma to knock on her door asking if she wanted scrambled eggs or waffles.

Justin and Alex actually had a good routine. One of them would go to the other's room late at night and they would make out until they were almost asleep, and then they would leave so they didn't fall asleep together and accidently get caught. The throughout the day, they would steal kisses from each other without Emma noticing. It was like a game. A game Alex was currently winning. The objective of the game was to kiss the other without Emma seeing. If Emma saw, it was game over. Big time. The only reason Alex was in the lead was that Justin was too frightened of taking the risk. She was currently beating him six to three.

They were sitting around the kitchen table and Emma had just turned her back to get the juice. Alex used that split-second to lunge across the table, kiss her boyfriend then leap back just in time. Justin just looked stunned.

"Seven to four." She said in a very low voice. "Better catch up if you want to win!"

Emma hadn't heard, "Alex do you want a banana?"

"Yes please," Alex said, winking at Justin. "I _love _bananas. Mmmm..." She bit into it seductively, trying not to laugh at the expression of frustrated longing in her boyfriend's eyes.

A little while later, Justin cornered Alex in the window room where she was painting.

"Alex, you have to be a bit more subtle!" He begged, "She's going to find out!"

Alex shrugged. She then winked at him and sashayed her hips over to him. She traced her finger up his chest then kissed him hard.

She then heard a gasp behind them. They broke apart quickly, but not quickly enough. For there stood Emma with an expression of shock and disbelief etched onto her face.

**A/N ooh! Cliffhanger! Lol pretty please with jalex on top review? **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N this is the last chapter! Oh my god i will miss it! Thank you all so much for following along and reviewing/alerting/favouriting! **

_She traced her finger up his chest then kissed him hard._

_She then heard a gasp behind them. They broke apart quickly, but not quickly enough. For there stood Emma with an expression of shock and disbelief etched onto her face._

Justin pushed Alex away from him. They were still staring in shock at Emma who looked equally surprised.

"Ah, um..." Justin stuttered nervously. "You see, what happened was... Alex was choking! Yeah, she was choking on a... on a grape! And I was giving her CPR!"

Alex gave him a very evil look. He was a terrible liar and he couldn't think under pressure. But she couldn't go against his story.

"Yeah!" She said. "I was choking! But I'm okay now!"

They both tried to look their most innocent and smiled brightly at Emma.

"Now, Alex," Justin said sternly. "Be careful when you're eating, okay? Maybe you should try cutting up your fruit in the future."

Alex nodded ardently, "Okay, I will, Justin!"

Alex turned to scurry out of the room but Emma's loud laugh stopped her in her tracks.

"Oh my God, that was hilarious!" Emma said, wiping tears of laughter out of her grey-green eyes. "You two definitely aren't actors! But still, great effort! I _almost _believed you!"

"W-what?" Justin said quickly, panic in his eyes.

"C'mon," Emma said gently. "You two didn't think I didn't know what was going on, did you? You were sort of obvious."

Alex was frozen with disbelief. Justin was opening and closing his mouth wordlessly.

"I've known ever since I first met you that something special was going on." She said softly, with a smile.

"So – so you don't mind?" Justin hesitantly asked.

"Do I mind?" Emma repeated with a smirk that was eerily like her sons. "I think it's adorable! Can I host your wedding?"

Justin and Alex both blushed, but they smiled at her. Alex was so relieved that Emma so readily accepted them and even seemed to like that they were a couple.

"So when did it start?" Emma asked eagerly.

"Er, just a couple of days ago." Justin said slowly.

Emma continued to pepper them with questions until it wasn't awkward anymore. The next few days were bliss. They could make out on the couch with Emma in the kitchen, she didn't care, but she just didn't want to see it.

"It's weird to watch your son make out with his girlfriend." She joked.

That made Alex's insides glow. She loved being referred to as Justin's girlfriend.

Then one day when she was sprawled across the couch reading a magazine Justin came up to her and coughed awkwardly.

"Hey." Alex said, not looking up from her magazine.

"Doyouwanttogoutwithme?" Justin blurted out.

"What was that?" Alex murmured, still not looking up.

"I said," Justin cleared his throat. "Would you like to go out with me? On a date."

She looked up, startled. "I thought we already were going out?"

"We haven't really 'gone out' anywhere besides Emma's couch and the beach." He pointed out.

"Okay." She shrugged. "Pick me up tonight at seven."

She picked up her magazine and went upstairs. Justin couldn't help the silly grin that spread across his face.

Seven o'clock that night he knocked on her bedroom door. She took a deep breath and tried to wipe off her silly grin so she wouldn't seem too eager. She swung open the door and smirked at him.

"Hey." She said simply.

"Hi." He whispered. He held out a long stemmed, single red rose.

"Thank you." She said, taking it from him.

"I, uh, I had the thorns cut off because I never want to hurt you." He said bashfully.

She grinned. She has never met anyone as Disney-Prince-like as Justin. He was so cheesy and romantic. He made her feel girly and special.

She kissed his cheek and laid the rose on her dresser. She noticed him checking her out and felt a sort of smug satisfaction. She was wearing a black skinny jeans, a long, crème coloured tank top, black heels and chunky black jewellery.

"You look beautiful." He said sincerely to her.

"You do to." She said without thinking. Then she blushed and grimaced, "I mean – you look really handsome."

He laughed and she smiled. He was wearing soft looking jeans and a blue button down shirt that was untucked and rolled up to his elbows.

"Shall we?" He asked holding out his hand for her to take. Alex almost rolled her eyes at his dorkiness. She controlled herself though. Barely.

He led her down the stairs where Emma was waiting with an excited grin and a camera.

"I have to take a picture of you two going on you very first date!" Emma squealed.

"I'm not thirteen," Alex snapped. "I have been out with a boy before."

But she allowed Emma to take one quick picture of the two of them standing at the foot of the stairs. Justin had his arm around Alex and was smiling more than he ever had before. Alex was pleased that she was the reason for that smile.

Justin drove her to a restaurant in Emma's car. They sat at a table for two a little ways away from the rest of the customers. Suddenly, Alex was nervous. She had been on tons of dates before, but not one as important as this. She fiddled with her cutlery and mumbled out her order to the rude and snooty waiter. She could see her date frowning with concern at her through the candlelight.

"Alex, are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

But she knew that he knew her well enough to know that wasn't true. Alex sometimes felt like Justin could read her mind, he knew her inside and out and could read her facial expressions like a book. So it was clear to him what was bothering her.

"There's no reason to be nervous." He said gently.

"I'm not nervous!" She exclaimed stubbornly.

He had to find a way to make her feel comfortable around him again. They had been together all of their lives, but not like _this. _It suddenly felt different then yesterday when they were just making out on Emma's couch or playing in the water. They were on a real grown-up date. Their relationship was officially starting.

So, like the grown up he was, he shot a spit-ball at their snobby waiter just to make Alex giggle.

"Justin!" She cried in surprise. He smirked at her and she laughed.

Soon, they were both shooting spit-balls at the waiter. White dots decorated the back of his black suit. They were giggling and chuckling. Usually, Justin wouldn't condone this sort of behaviour, but he was desperate to keep Alex from being afraid.

Alex shot another spit-ball at the waiter, but he turned around faster she had expected and glared at them.

"So it was you two!" He shrieked angrily. "I should've known! Good-for-nothing teenagers! Out, OUT!"

He shooed them from the restaurant, screeching about stupid kids and wastes of time.

Alex was absolutely roaring with laughter, "That was hilarious!" She gasped, wiping a tear from her eyes. "Too bad we never got to eat our Fettuccini Alfredo."

Justin took her hand, "I know somewhere better."

He led her to the midway that was set up along the boardwalk by the beach. They had hotdogs and cotton-candy. They drank sodas and played games. There were teenagers on dates, families with young kids, groups of friends out for a fun night and most of Faireville. Justin played this game where he had to hit the target three times in a row and he won. He gave the stuffed tiger he won to her. She suspected he used magic to win the toy for her, because she knew his aim was terrible. But of course, she never told him that.

They walked along the boardwalk under the bright neon lights of the midway games. Alex was clutching her stuffed tiger Justin and her and jokingly named Arnold. And then Justin's long fingers reached out and intertwined with hers. She suppressed a gasp of shock then held his hand tighter. She could see him smiling.

He walked her to her bedroom door later that night. He kissed her goodnight outside her door and she ducked inside grinning wildly. She collapsed onto her bed smiling wide enough to reach across her whole face. She kissed Arnold the Tiger and laughed with delight over the whole evening.

The next morning was Labour Day Weekend. Their family was coming to Florida to see them and that meant that Alex and Justin had to, once again, hide their relationship. Though Emma was very accepting, Alex had the funny feeling that her parents would not be the same.

Theresa stormed into Emma's little beach house and burst into tears as soon as she saw Justin. She hugged both of her children and sobbed about how she was so sorry and that she loved them no matter what. Justin told her that he forgave her and then everything was good again.

Alex and Harper jumped up and down and squealed when they saw each other. Harper gushed on about Alex's tan and Alex told her that she loved the new haircut Harper was sporting. The girls went into the kitchen for some privacy and the first thing Harper asked was if Alex had met any boys.

"Well..." Alex started. This could be the perfect moment to tell Harper about what was going on with Justin. But she couldn't. She loved Harper to death and trusted her absolutely, but her New York life and her Florida life were very different and the people there only knew Justin and Alex as brother and sister. It would be too much of a shock to tell Harper right now. Besides, Alex didn't want to ruin the festive mood.

"I did have a boyfriend for a little while." Alex admits. "His name was Beau."

Alex told Harper all about him and then caught up with Harper about what she had missed in New York. While Harper was talking, Alex looked out at her family.

Jerry and Theresa were hugging Emma and talking to her all about the past twenty years. Max and Justin were in the window room chatting and looking out into the ocean. Justin caught her looking at him and mouthed, '_I love you.' _

Alex grinned and mouthed back, '_I love you too.'_

"I'm so happy that we're all together again." Harper sighed happily.

Alex smiled and felt a rush of love for everyone in that room. She had two parents who loved her and a baby brother that was hilarious and a best friend who would stand by her no matter what. Not to mention an adorable boyfriend. And even though the time wasn't right to tell them all about her new relationship with Justin, it would be soon. But for now, Alex was just enjoying the moment.

"Yeah," She murmured. "I'm happy too."

**A/N aww its over! But wait, theres still more! Thats right! I am writing a sequal called **_**Maybe Someday. **_**And since you are all loyal readers, i will give you a super extra long special edition summary!**

**Alex gets sick. Like, really sick. And it doesn't look to good. So Justin and Alex go on a quest to cure her before it's too late. Along the way, they meet old friends and an old love interest (*cough*mason*cough*) and their relationship is tested. Their family finds out their secret and Alex and Justin take their relationship to the next level. You will find out more about **_**Maybe Someday **_**very soon!**

**So I want to thank you all again for reading this and for sticking with it. It really means a lot to me and i hope you all review! **


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